The Prince
by Florence D. P. Snape
Summary: He was the Prince now, she was the first of a new generation of Jedi to finish her training at the Skywalker's Temple. They had been friends, real-close friends, best friends, but now they were adults and the old no-attachment rule of the Jedi Code hasn't been revoked - so she'd have to choose. Post-war. Angsty. Not #Reylo, but deserves a chance. Lots of smut. #Bendemption.
1. Her Arrival

After the peace had been restored, only a few groups of First Order supporters still remained scattered around the galaxy, causing trouble and attacks on those responsible for the destruction of the Order they still worshipped.

General/Queen Leia Organa found a place for the Alderaanian people to live peacefully and, for popular pressure, the political status of the Alderaanians continued being a monarchy.

The Queen's son, Ben Solo, had abandoned and destroyed the Skywalker Jedi Temple during the war to work for Snoke; but it had all been part of a plan of his late Grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, to destroy the spirit of Palpatine for good.

The new Jedi Council, whose only member for now was Master Luke Skywalker, was about to send his best Jedi to Tandankin to ensure Leia's safety.

* * *

**Tandankin**

Queen Leia Organa stood on the Castle's parking lot waiting for the Jedi her brother had charged with her protection. Whoever they were, she had already decided they would be going back to Yavin 4 within a week – there was no need for such reinforcements when the Jedi were just restarting their Council and needed all the people they could have.

A YT-Series ship landed and a beautiful young woman walked out of it. She had long brown hair that was braided back and sparkling blue eyes, her clothes screamed Jedi: dark brown pants and a white long-sleeved shirt, a lightsaber hanging from her belt, and brown ankle boots finished her simple look.

"Sara Antilles?" Leia asked, recognizing the woman.

"Yes, Your Highness." Sara smiled, stopping in front of her and bowing respectfully. "It's my honour to serve you."

Leia pulled the Jedi in for a hug. "My dear, I'm so happy my brother sent you! I was about to send whoever he had chosen back to Yavin, but I must say I want to keep you, at least for a while!" she looked at Sara. "Look at you! We are all so proud of you. And I'm really grateful for all your help during the war." She smiled at Sara. "You're a woman now; and so beautiful. I remember when you were a little girl running around with Ben in Chandrilla. Do you remember?"

At the mention of his name, Sara felt her heart stop for a second. She remembered Ben Solo all right, and the huge crush she had on him as well. She just nodded and smiled.

"You'll see Ben later." Leia continued. "He went to the Senate with our new representative, Senator Yblis. But they'll be back for dinner."

Leia led Sara into the beautiful building that was the official home of the royal house of the Alderaanians, and Sara noticed something: "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but why were you out there with no bodyguards?"

"Oh, no. Not you too." Leia sounded annoyed, although she smiled.

"Well, that's why I'm here: to protect you. Master Luke..."

"Is a thorn on my side. Not to say worse." Leia interrupted. "I'll introduce you to my current head of security and you can discuss those things with him, ok?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Now, let me show you around the Castle." Sara was about to interrupt but Leia raised her hand and continued: "Yes, I know, you've already studied it and probably knows it better than me, but, indulge me, please. Walk with me to the garden, it's beautiful – I'm sure you'll appreciate it."

And Sara followed her.

* * *

The moon was high in the sky when Ben landed the Falcon beside a slightly familiar YT-Series ship. He looked at it for a long while, trying to remember where he knew it from.

"It seems the Jedi is already here, Your Highness." spoke Senator Yblis, bringing Ben back to reality.

He just nodded and they walked down the Falcon's ramp towards the door of the big house, Ben still looking at the other ship, thinking about who its owner was; then, all of a sudden, he remembered: _Sara! That's Sara's ship._ He had a clear memory of her father taking her to Yavin 4 on that ship.

"I wonder who they have send." Continued the Senator.

"Sara Antilles." Said Ben, trying not to smile too much.

"An Alderaanian!" Exclaimed the older man, happily. "That's very appropriate."

"Yes." Ben replied. Although inside he knew it was more than just appropriate: it was perfect.

* * *

When Ben walked into the living room, his eyes were instantly pulled towards Sara. He would recognize her anywhere; her energy was one that he could always identify no matter where they were or how many people were in a room. She turned her head towards him, sensing his energy too, her blue eyes sparkling as they met his; he smiled at her, and walked to his mother, greeting her first.

* * *

Sara felt his presence the moment he landed on the planet, and so did Leia.

"They've finally arrived!" Leia announced minutes before Ben and the Senator walked into the living room.

Sara just nodded, a little anxious about seeing him again after almost five years.

The doors opened and Ben walked in: dark pants, a moss green long-sleeved shirt and a cyan velvet cape on his shoulders, his dark hair loose and a bit messy. Sara felt her mouth go dry, he looked powerful and sexy.

She watched as he hugged his mother.

* * *

Ben looked up from his mother's face to Sara's and the moment his eyes met her deep blue ones, he realized how much he had missed her; they had been the best of friends since they were little kids. He smiled and was in front of her in two large steps: "Sara, what a lovely surprise to see you here."

She smiled and bowed politely, "I'm very happy to be here too, Your Highness."

That politeness took him by surprise, a frown marring his forehead; he had been ready to pull her into a hug.

"Sara is here as part of my security team, Ben." explained Leia.

Then it hit him: although they had been the best of friends, now she was a Jedi General and he was the Queen's son; she'd been sent there by the Council (meaning: his uncle) to protect his mother from possible terrorists' attacks.

"It'll take me a while to get used to this." he quietly admitted, not liking that she had bowed to him and spoken so formally.

Sara just smiled and looked quickly away, she wanted to hug and be hugged by him, just the thought of being held tight in his strong arms had her shivering in improper desire.

"Is there anything that I need to know today, Senator Yblis?" they heard Leia asking the man.

"No, Your Highness."

"So, tomorrow morning I'll meet you in your office, is that all right?"

"Yes." he bowed. "Have a great evening, Your Highness." he bowed his head at Ben and left the room.

"Let's head to dinner. You must be starving, Ben. Sara, you'll be joining us." declared Leia.

* * *

During dinner, Leia decided to bring up the past:

"I can't overstate how happy I am to have you here, Sara." she said. "My brother probably sent you on purpose, for he knew I'd send back anyone else. But I don't have the willpower to send you away."

"You honour me with your kindness." Sara quietly said, blushing.

"I'm glad to have you here as well, Sara." added Ben. "Also, I think I owe you an explanation..."

"No need for that." she interrupted him. "I know what you did and why you did it; and I thank you for your sacrifices."

It was his turn to get a little red in the face.

* * *

After dinner, Sara walked Leia to her room and headed out of the Castle, into the garden, feeling in need of a walk; it was a beautiful night and she had a lot on her mind: seeing Ben had awakened feelings in her that she had trained hard to bury years ago.

* * *

Ben saw Sara walking alone in the garden and decided to follow her; she sat on a bench and he stopped a few feet from her, just watching her; noticing how she had changed during the years since he had left the Temple, and how beautiful she looked under the moonlight.

"I know you're there." she whispered, smiling.

He chuckled and walked close to her. "I knew you'd sense me. Mind if I join you?"

She shook her head and he sat beside her. They enjoyed a few minutes of silence, the night air being filled by nothing but the sound of nocturnal animals.

"Jedi Knight Sara Antilles." Ben softly said, breaking the silence. "I can only imagine how happy you must've been the day uncle Luke declared your training complete."

"Yes." she sighed happily. "It was a great moment. But I didn't have much time to enjoy it, for the war worsened a few weeks after that and I had to face the battlefield soon afterwards."

"I know. I saw you many times. In several battlefields."

"Yes. I saw you too. I knew it was you under that mask, I could sense you." she chuckled remembering something: "Many resistance members wondered why I never engaged you in battle, and Poe Dameron once asked me about that."

"Really? What did you say?"

"That you had never tried to attack me, and I was already too busy protecting our troops to run after some guy in a mask." she paused. "That's also how I realized you hadn't gone dark."

"Because I never attacked you?" he smiled.

"Yes. You would've tried to kill me, you'd see nothing but an enemy in me; but you never did. So I knew you were doing all of that for a reason. Even when you killed your father, I knew it had been for a reason." She could see he still carried guilt for that, for he instantly winced, his eyes losing focus as he stared into the night sky. "And Han knew, didn't he?"

"Yes." he sighed heavily. "I spoke to my father a few hours before he arrived on the Starkiller. I told him Snoke had ordered me to kill him, and he said he'd help me. I hesitated; I was trying to come up with a plan to save him, I wasn't interested in committing patricide. But he said I had to end him, if his death gave the Resistance better chances of winning the war, that I had to do it; and that he would never forgive me if I didn't."

"That sounds like him." she touched his hand. "I can feel you still carry that pain, Ben; you should try to let go of it, for your own mental health. Remember the healing meditation sessions we used to have at the Temple? You should try doing it again. You're not a Jedi, but your connection to the Force will always be a part of you, use it to heal your soul."

He looked into her eyes – two deep blue seas filled with kindness and wisdom, so beautiful. He wanted to pull her closer, take her in his arms and kiss her senseless, letting her lips heal his broken soul. But he didn't do any of that, he simply nodded and entwined his hand with hers, whispering: "I missed you, friend."

"I missed you too." she replied, resting her head on his shoulder, just like she used to do at the Temple.

After long minutes of comfortable silence, Sara asked: "And how is the royal life?"

"Boring. But I am glad for its boringness. I've had enough adventures in my life."

"Yeah, I know, right?" she chuckled. "Many times during the war I dreamed of my life at the Temple; it was boring, yes, but it sure beat living in the Mirrorbright and having to fight every day."

"What happened in the Temple, after I left?"

"It was weird not having you there." she lifted her head from his shoulder. "And everyone was suspicious of me, because of you."

He seemed surprised. "Why?" He looked at her, her hand still in his.

"Because we had always been friends; even Master Luke assumed I knew about your intentions to go dark. And he admitted, after a few months, that he was keeping an eye on me, for he feared I'd follow you one day."

"I didn't think you'd be somehow affected by my plan. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. It was all for a good reason. But I could've helped you, you know. I would have, if you'd asked."

"I wouldn't risk you. I knew what I had to do would be dangerous, that I could die – I nearly did, actually, more times than I can count."

She looked up at him, worried to hear that.

"But, we're here; we survived and helped restore peace to the Galaxy." he added.

"Now we only have to maintain it for longer than 20 years and we'll best Master Luke." she said.

"Yeah." he chuckled.

And they fell into a comfortable silence again.

* * *

That night, when Sara finally bid Ben goodnight and walked into her new bedroom (three doors down from Leia's), she knew she shouldn't have had that conversation with him. The whole point of walking in the garden had been to get her feelings under control – and that was the last thing she had achieved that night. She wouldn't name those feeling – she couldn't name them, words had power. But nameless or not, what she felt for Ben had been brewing inside of her for years, at least seven, and she knew admitting them would be her downfall.

* * *

For the next five days, Sara avoided the garden and Ben whenever she could; luckily he was pretty busy in those days, so she didn't have to be obvious about her avoidance.

* * *

One early morning, Sara found Ben in the training room of the gym, alone, looking at something on a table, his back to the door. He seemed focused, his hands moving slowly over whatever was on the table.

"Excuse me." she whispered, not wanting to scare him.

"Hey, Sara." he sounded frustrated.

She walked close to him and saw what he was so focused on: "Your lightsaber." she whispered in awe. "I remember seeing you using that in battle, I always thought it was so cool." She saw he had opened it up, the lightsaber lay in four separated parts on the table. "What are you trying to do?"

"Restore my kyber crystal." he replied in a sigh. "I failed to corrupt it, so I used a rol stone to turn it red but now..."

"They've fused." she could see clearly where Ben's original blue kyber had fused into the small red rol stone. "That's very unique. I don't remember ever reading about such a thing." she raised her hands towards the lightsaber. "Can I see it closer?" she asked, and Ben nodded, putting the open hilt on her hands. She lifted it, analysing the way the two crystals were connected, then she closed her eyes and moved her hands away from the saber, making it hover below her moving hands, turning sideways and upside down slowly as she tried to listen to it. After a couple of minutes of hand moves and concentration, Sara put it back onto the table. "I have good and bad news, which do you want first?"

"The good."

"Your crystal is not in any way corrupted."

"And the bad?"

"I don't think you'll be able to separate them. You could try, though, to convince them that you no longer need them to be red. But you'll certainly end up with a purple lightsaber."

"Purple?" He frowned with a smile.

"Yes. Like Master Windu's; we've studied about him, remember?"

"Yes." he looked at his lightsaber again. "Purple." he pondered. "Yeah, I guess purple is better than red."

"It definitely is. But the red looks really awesome."

"It sure does." he raised his hands over it, thinking about what he wanted from the crystals. They glowed and resonated a little, until the sound stopped in a beautiful note. It seemed to have worked. But as he was trying to put it back together, the whole saber just kept falling on the table, its pieces still unassembled.

Ben let out a frustrated growl and hit his fist onto the table top.

"Do you want my help?" Sara offered. "Maybe it's been a while since you've done this, I could guide you."

Ben nodded.

Sara stood beside him and put her hands over his.

"Will you keep the cross-shape?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Ok. Now, you close your eyes and picture it assembled in your mind in the order that you know each part must go – do you remember the correct order?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll see it in your mind and help you put it together."

He nodded silently, waiting until she had closed her eyes to close his – for he could stare at her for a moment. He focused on his lightsaber, feeling Sara's energy fill up his mind and help his hands move with grace and precision. In less than five minutes, he felt it was done.

"There it is." Whispered Sara, taking her hands from his and opening her eyes to see the lightsaber.

"So your guess is it's purple?" he asked, looking at it too.

"Yes. Most definitely."

He took it and ignited it.

"Purple it is." he smiled at it, moving it around, getting reacquainted to it.

"I remember seeing you in battle with that cross-shaped red crackling lightsaber. I almost wished you would attack me so that I could take a closer look at it."

"It's no longer crackling. Do you want to give it a try?"

Sara raised her eyebrows in surprise, knowing that his offer meant a lot – a Jedi's lightsaber was their life, and one didn't offer one's life to others for any reason.

"Sure." she accepted it, holding the hilt and igniting it. "It's heavy." She readily noticed.

"Yes. I prefer it this way. When it was blue and not cross-shaped, it was too light for me. When I changed it, I was able to have more control over its movements."

Sara twirled it and did some attack positions while Ben just watched her.

"It's not so heavy after you get used to it." She said, returning it to him.

"Would you like to know what it would be like to have us duel?"

"Are you for real?" she smiled.

"Yes. Why not?"

"Sure. Let's do it!" and she took her own lightsaber in hand, igniting it and assuming position.

He did the same.

"You don't look so menacing without those black robes you know." she teased him.

His reply came in the form of attack, he aimed for her saber, of course, hitting it with strength. The two blades connected and almost glued together, Sara had to pull hers away from his. "That's odd." she said, frowning.

"Yes. It is." He looked as surprised as her.

She attacked him next and again the blades did the same: the moment they touched, they seemed to stick together.

"Maybe we should stop." she said. "I've got no idea why this is happening. We'd better stop before we hurt ourselves."

"Yes. You're right." He agreed, looking at his purple lightsaber with a frown.

"Besides, look at the time. " she pointed at the clock. "We'd better get going, or we'll be late for lunch."

Ben nodded and put his lightsaber on his belt.

"Thanks for helping me." he said as they walked out of the gym.

"Don't mention it. If you need any more help, just ask."

* * *

Two nights later, Ben found her in the library, sitting on the couch, alone, her eyes fixed in the flames in the fireplace.

"May I join you?" He asked from the door.

"Of course, Your Highness."

"It's just us here, Sara. Call me Ben."

She smiled and nodded. He walked in and sat beside her.

"You know, some would say it's a bit too warm tonight to have a fire..." he whispered.

"Yes, they would... but you know why I'm here."

"Yes." he nodded. "You use the flames to guide you, to find balance; they act like a conduit to you. I remember."

She just smiled, her heart aching a little as he said he remembered such a small detail about her, her eyes closing and she rested her head on the couch.

Ben put his arm on the back of the couch, under her neck and Sara sighed, letting her head fall on his shoulder. It was so familiar, so comforting to be in that position again; that was how they had spent many a night talking and gazing at the stars, discussing travel charts and how many parsecs would such travels be.

"When did you decide to leave the Temple?" she quietly asked.

"About two weeks before I did it. My grandfather visited me in a dream and explained what I had to do."

"That's what I heard. It still amazes me how you were quick to trust him."

"I felt he was being sincere. He was worried and angry. Palpatine had manipulated him, guided him to become the worst version of himself – he used my grandfather's vision of Padme's death to make him do his evil biding. Since the first moment Anakin appeared to me, I never doubted him."

"But did you want to do what he asked of you or did you do it out of duty?"

"A bit of both, actually..." he glanced away a moment, as if embarrassed. "I had other plans that didn't involve becoming a Jedi – so even if Anakin hadn't asked for my help, I wouldn't have finished my training anyway."

"Why not?"

"The no-attachment rule."

Sara raised her head from his shoulder to look at him, her eyebrows up in surprise.

"I would like to have a family of my own one day." he explained.

Sara forced herself to smile, her heart breaking a little at the thought of seeing him married to someone. _I hope I'm not here long enough to see that. _She thought, as her lips said: "So you were interested in someone at the time?"

"Yes. Still am." He admitted with a shy smile.

Her heart broke some more, and she closed her eyes for a moment, opening them again to stare into the flames, but feeling too restless to continue sitting there so close to him.

"I wish you all the happiness in the world, Ben." She whispered, getting up. "I shall go to sleep now. If you'll excuse me." She bowed to him. "Good night." she turned to the door.

"You don't have to do that, you know. The bowing thing." he sounded annoyed, frowning at her sudden change in behavior.

"Yes, I do." She said with a sigh. "I'm not here as your friend, I'm here on official business." and she had to remind herself of that.

* * *

After their encounter in the library, Ben never found Sara alone again. He could tell she was keeping her distance from him – discreetly avoiding him and never spending free time away from her room; he saw her many nights sitting in her balcony, her eyes in the sky, sorrow coming off of her in little waves. Something was hurting her, emotionally, which was unusual, for she had received training to control such feelings; in your path to become a Jedi, they didn't just tell you to stop having feelings for others and you suddenly happen to not form attachments anymore; no, it wasn't that simple, there was a lot of training involved. So whatever was weighing on Sara's mind, it had to be serious.

* * *

**Two weeks later**

They were enjoying a delicious dinner, when Leia spoke words that would haunt Sara for a long time: "Ben, we'll start having dinner parties on the tenth night of every month from now on."

"Oh, no." He winced, remembering the reason. "I really have to do that?"

Sara looked from one to the other in silence, not understanding why the mention of dinners had Ben so annoyed.

"Yes." Answered Leia. "It's a tradition; you'll be twenty-nine this year, by our laws you should already have a betrothed."

That word turned Sara's blood into ice, freezing her from inside out. She worked hard to swallow the food in her mouth without choking.

Leia continued: "You'll have the chance to meet many different girls in these dinners and, eventually, one will be to your liking and you'll marry her, and soon afterwards make me a very happy grandmother." She explained her seemingly very simple plan, glancing at Sara as if looking for support.

Sara just forced herself to smile, while in her heart she felt like she'd never be warm again.

"If that is really necessary." Ben mumbled, sipping his wine.

"Part of tradition, yes." Repeated Leia.

"All right. Let's see how many crazy females will appear to potentially marry an ex-darksider."

Sara frowned, sensing he truly believed he wasn't worth it of marrying someone. "Don't sell yourself short, Your Highness." She found herself speaking, "You were a dark-Force user, yes, but you're a war hero, just like your parents."

"Yes! She's right, son!" exclaimed Leia. "You saved all of us, plus you're very pleasing on the eye. I'm sure there'll be a huge line of interested females. Right, Sara?"

"Oh, sure." Sara replied, not doubting the line of interested females would be very long; but worried about how that made her feel so uneasy and want to jump on the Mirrorbright and fly away as fast as possible. 

* * *

**Note: **A new (kind of) short story about these two. Six chapters total. Lots of smut and angst. Also, Luke's a dickhead in this story.


	2. Their Feelings

**The first dinner party**

The dining room was almost full, about twenty young women, accompanied by their parents, had gone to meet Ben. Sara watched him from afar, the politeness of his demeanour and the attention he gave each of the women that approached him was starting to get on her nerves – and her feelings started to slowly get out of her control.

Despite Leia's invitation, Sara had chosen not to join them at the large dining table, preferring to stand by one of the large windows instead, trying to ignore everything that didn't seem potentially threatening.

Only she couldn't help but follow Ben's every move, for her eyes were pulled to him as he walked around the room in dark-blue pants, white long-sleeved shirt and a dark teal vest, with delicate embroidered details in silver and blue, that gave him a look of power and royalty befitting of his status; it was also just tight enough to showcase his strong physique without being too much. His long hair had been perfectly styled, not one strand out of place. She focused on looking for danger but, whenever he laughed, she had to look at him again – he was so handsome laughing.

However even if she hadn't followed him around with her eyes, she could still sense, through the Force, exactly where he was and how he was feeling; and he was happy, despite his initial reluctance to have that dinner, he found a way in his heart to enjoy it. And his happiness broke her heart a little – when it shouldn't be available to be broken.

* * *

The seemingly endless parade of females that wanted to talk to him was amusing and annoying at the same time, but Ben was respectful and considerate to all of them; thanking them for coming to meet him and spending a few minutes talking with each young woman, a smile on his face as he listened to them with polite interest.

But he couldn't stop himself from checking on Sara from time to time. All of those young women had dressed up and done their hair and make ups to perfection, however, in his eyes, none of those beautiful dresses were more interesting than Sara's Jedi outfit of brown pants, bopots and white long-sleeved hooded shirt; her hair had been French-braided, as usual, without any form of embezzlement but for a white hair tie at the end. He shouldn't be looking at her or thinking of her like that, but she was the only woman in that whole room that had his full attention. He followed her every move and could sense her annoyance – and at first he thought that, for a Jedi who was used to training and fighting, such a formal situation like that had to be quite annoying, but after a while he could tell her anger wasn't directed at the party: she was annoyed with him. A smiled graced his lips at that realization; even though she was a fully trained Jedi who had graduated with top grades, she didn't seem to have as much control over her emotions as it'd be expected. And the way her eyes followed him around the room with irritation, but still unable to stop themselves, had hope growing in his heart, hope that the feelings he had been trying to suffocate had a chance of being mutual. Worry grew in his mind as well, though, for it was because of the Jedi no-attachment rule that he had eagerly walked away from his uncle's Temple, and Sara – as a Jedi – was bound to follow that rule.

He noticed Sara frowning in his direction, she probably could tell he was thinking about her and was wondering why. He felt her pushing into his mind, trying to see what he was thinking about. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop her, so he just cleared his mind and held her gaze, enjoying having her beautiful blue eyes directed at him; she stopped pushing when she realized he had hidden his thoughts and Ben chuckled, seeing her annoyance grow even further. A servant-droid approached him and he accepted a refill of his sparkling wine, once again his mind wandering in worry: Sara loved being a Jedi, and he knew she'd never be fully happy living her life as a consort, she was a fighter, not a Princess. He had been raised for that life and still he found it extremely boring at times. He walked to the long table, sat down beside his mother and looked around, apparently any of those women would love being his wife – for his absolute shock – but in that moment, after seeing Sara's irritation, he knew he would never be able to marry any of them. His heart had made its choice years ago and now there was hope.

* * *

Once the endless dinner was over, Sara accompanied Leia to her room, walking three doors down the corridor to her own afterwards; sleeping was all she could do to stop her mind from traveling down dangerous paths of jealousy, love and desire.

* * *

Five days went by where Sara avoided Ben like he was the next Emperor, and he could sense why: she was confused and conflicted; during meals she barely spoke to him – answering only to his mother's questions and smiling politely at him.

* * *

**A week later**

It was a warm summer night, Sara sat on her balcony to look at the stars, feeling lonely; she closed her eyes and lay on her back onto the stone floor of the balcony, remembering her eleven-year-old self stargazing at the Temple, her head on Ben's chest, or his head on her lap, her fingers entwined with his in an openly caring friendship. She missed that, and him, and their friendship, and she longed for all the great things they said they'd do together once they finished their training, the great number of planets they'd help. She opened her eyes again, the bright moon smiling down at her only added to the gloominess in her chest.

* * *

Ben was getting ready for bed when he sensed Sara in his mind and knew she was thinking of him. After many days being practically ignored by her, he wasn't going to let that chance pass. He put on some jeans and a blue shirt and left his room, going upstairs to her door, her bedroom being one floor above his; he knocked. In less than a minute she opened the door.

"Ben." She was surprised to see him, being so lost in her thoughts that she failed to sense his presence. "What can I do for you?"

"I believe we need to talk."

"I'm tired, I don't have anything to say to you. Have a good night." She tried closing the door but he stopped her, pushing it open and walking into her room uninvited. Sara frowned at his improper and disrespectful behaviour; he could sense her outrage, so he explained: "Your thoughts brought me here, Sara. I could sense your feelings from my room." His voice calm, balancing her anger.

Sara sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry if I bothered you. I was just walking down memory lane. I was looking at the stars and remembering us at the Temple."

He closed the door softly and couldn't stop himself from walking closer to her, "You've been ignoring me for days now, Sara. Why?"

He saw the pain in her eyes a second before she averted her gaze, uncomfortable. "Because I miss you." She confessed, her voice but a whisper. "I miss stargazing with you, I miss our conversations, the dreams we once shared..."

"I'm right here, Sara." he put one hand on her face.

She looked up at him with sad eyes: "We're not kids anymore, Ben. And I have a job to do here, I'm not here as your childhood friend." She slowly removed his hand from her cheek.

"No, you're not. You're a Jedi now." He said, as if needing to remind himself of that.

"Yes. That's why I have to stay away from you. Otherwise I tend to forget that too."

"There's nothing on the Jedi Code that forbids friendships, Sara." He frowned.

"No, there isn't." She looked at him again, her eyes filling up with unshed tears: "But I don't think I can be your friend anymore."

He gulped, her pain entering his mind, her heart opening to him even though she seemed completely unaware of it.

"Please, respect my position here," she continued, "My job is to protect your mother. And that's all I should do."

Ben could feel all the heartache that threatened to suffocate her, he wanted to pull her closer and kiss her pain away, make her forget all that anguish and give her all the love that grew for her inside of him.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, his hand on her cheek again, his thumb going over her lips once, before he stopped himself from doing something that would only make things worse for them and removed his hand from her face.

"Nothing. I'm here to do my job, just stay away from me and let me do it."

He nodded, against all the needs he had inside his chest: need to pull her closer, kiss her, make love to her – he glanced down her body, the need growing.

Sara noticed what he was doing and sighed in exasperation. "Stop it, Ben."

"Can I have one last hug?" he asked, wanting to feel her close.

Sara nodded and walked into his arms.

He pulled her close, bending his knees a bit, so that her face was against his neck and he could rest his head in the crook of her neck. Sara rubbed her nose against his skin, slowly, smelling him, while her hands caressed his back.

He had to control the urge to taste her skin, to bite her shoulder and nip at her earlobe; his arms locked behind her lower back, pulling her soft, curvaceous body flush against his harder one, torturing himself, testing his self-control. He knew if he tried to kiss her, she'd fight him for just a second, for the need he felt in himself he could sense in her too – but he respected her too much to push her like that.

After many minutes, Sara took a step back and looked at his face, whispering:

"You should go now."

He nodded silently, before turning around and walking out of her room feeling lost.

* * *

**Two weeks later**

Sara walked into her room, closed the door and let the turmoil inside her chest loose, the lights flickering for a moment in response to her release of energy.

She took a deep breath once her chest didn't feel so heavy anymore and walked to the bathroom, hoping a hot shower could help her relax. She wanted to forget that night – another dinner party night, where fifteen beautiful women, in gorgeous gowns, just walked around Ben, flirting with him, trying to call his attention to themselves.

Sara could sense he somewhat enjoyed those nights, maybe not all the flirting, but he enjoyed the party to a certain point – she knew that for she could feel his happiness; meanwhile she just wanted to set the dining room on fire and stop all that nonsense.

She closed her eyes, looking for calm within the Force, focusing on the water that ran down her body, caressing her curves. But as she focused on that and she touched the soft loofah over her skin, leaving trails of foam behind, she awakened a need in her core, and her treacherous mind imagined her hands were Ben's, and she wondered what it would feel like to have him in the shower with her – his large hands holding her from behind, caressing down her belly and finding her entrance; she didn't stop herself, the need too great to be ignored, she touched one hand to her pussy, one finger going between her outer lips, flickering her clit before two penetrated her warm channel. She gasped at the sensation of her own fingers inside her and her mind came up with the image of his strong body, all wet, pushing her against the wall, her back against the cold tile, her legs around his waist as he thrust his hard dick deep into her.

"Fuck." she whispered as an orgasm washed over her, making her legs weak.

She stopped touching herself and rested her head against the cold wall, eyes closed as she still breathed a little irregularly. She shook her head slowly and tears began to mix with the water running down her face. She knew then that she was doomed.

* * *

Once all guests had left and the party was finally over, Ben walked to his room, bidding a good night to the guard standing by his door in the corridor.

He locked the door, wondering if Sara was already asleep – not that he could simply go find her and have a conversation, no, he was respecting her request and staying away from her; although such distance wasn't helping either of them, he could sense her irritation at the party and it made him want to laugh, for it proved to him she loved him – no matter how forbidden it was, how far they stayed from each other or how hard she tried to fight it: she loved him.

He walked into his bathroom, turned on the shower, and began to remove his clothes to take a quick shower before bed, pondering if he should go looking for Sara or not, when suddenly he had his mind filled with an image – a very sexy image – of Sara gasping against a shower wall as he fucked her.

"Whata...?" He whispered, stopping shirtless in front of his shower stall and focusing on that image, trying to find the source of that thought for it certainly hadn't come from inside his own mind; then he easily saw her: gasping alone under the shower head, the water running down her body, her own hands giving her pleasure as she imagined it was him thrusting deep inside of her.

"Oh, Sara." he breathed, touching his hardening dick. "Don't do this to me." he whispered, quickly finishing removing all his clothes and walking under his shower stall, while maintaining the connection with her mind. He could almost feel her curvaceous body against his own, her moans and gasps filling his ears, as she tried to thrust her fingers deeper into her pussy. He pleasured himself as he watched her imagining his hands gripping her hips with strength, pounding into her mercilessly; her need for him to take full control of her pleasure had him quickly painting the wall with jets of cum as he watched her climaxing.

* * *

After showering, Sara wrapped herself in a soft white towel and sat by the large window in her room, staring at the stars and the moon, her mind a complete mess. She could no longer deny she was in love with Ben – there she had named it – and she craved him, she'd wanted to drag him away from all the beautiful young women that walked around him in expensive gowns and perfect hairdos. Her heart (and her body) yearned for his presence, she dreamed about his touches and kisses.

"Damn it." She whispered, an anguished sob leaving her lips before she could stop it, externalizing all the pain that threatened to suffocate her, as tears came out uncontrollably. She loved her job, being a Jedi was what she had always dreamed of since she was a child and she was so proud of herself for having achieved that dream. But the old no-attachment rule hadn't been revoked – and Master Luke had once said he wasn't sure he'd ever revoke it, for he believed it was indiscipline that had caused his father to embrace the dark side, that if Anakin Skywalker had meditated more and searched for guidance, he'd never have deviated from the Jedi path. And Sara had believed that too once; being the most disciplined padawan at Luke's Temple, she was fully able to block her feelings during battles, letting only her instincts guide her through hard times. But in that moment, sitting by the window, wrapped in a towel inside that beautiful bedroom, Sara questioned her Master for the first time. She even second-guessed herself – wondering whether she would have become the fully trained, disciplined, Jedi she now was, if Ben hadn't left the Temple. Because she'd had feelings for him then (unnamed ones), but she'd never paid much attention to them, which probably allowed them to grow inside her, while she was unaware of the consequences. But now she was an adult, and knew of the consequences.

She looked up at the stars again, realizing that if those feelings of misery and loss were what Anakin had felt, she could fully understand why he had snapped when Padmé died.

Focusing again on the now, she reminded herself: _I'm here to protect Leia; I must stay away from Ben and intensify my training routine._

So she had a plan: starting the next day, she'd avoid any contact with Ben at all.

* * *

**In the next morning**

Ben noticed Sara seemed distant during breakfast, silent, her eyes cast down, focused on her plate. But what worried him was that he could sense her energy was a little out of her control, and she was spending more energy to leash it. He carefully watched her every move with the corner of his eye and not once her blue eyes met his.

She clearly had no idea he had shared in her thoughts the previous night, so it wasn't embarrassment that was weighing on her mind. No, it was something else. He used the Force to investigate her feelings a little further but she felt his attempt to enter her mind; raising her head and meeting his eyes for the first time that morning, Sara looked at him with anger and hurt in her eyes.

"Excuse me, Your Highness." she turned to Leia, "I'll go check on the security team scheduled for today's appointments." and she stood up, leaving the dining room without looking at Ben again.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" whispered Leia looking at the door Sara had just left through. "I've never trained my abilities with the Force but even I can sense something's weighing on her mind."

"I can sense it too, mom, but I don't know what's wrong." He lied.

"It just worries me." Leia could feel he was lying, and she frowned a little. "You should keep an eye on her; an unbalanced Jedi is never a good sign."

Ben just nodded, resuming his breakfast in silence.

* * *

For two weeks, Sara was nothing but polite to Ben during the day. However, at nearly every night, his mind was filled by images of the two of them fucking in different places, her gasps and moans driving him insane with desire. He could see her, lying on her bed, pleasuring herself to an unsatisfying orgasm. He knew she couldn't hear him like he could hear her, for he had tried to talk to her through that bond but she never answered him. He could block her though, but he didn't have enough willpower to do that. He had blocked her just once, out of necessity, as some sexy images began in his mind while he sat in a room full of Senators.

Ben sat on his bed, trying to read but his mind only thought of Sara – he loved her: her humour, her strength, the kindness he could see in her blue eyes, her stubbornness, the smell of her hair, her laugh. He put the book aside, giving up on it, and turned off the lights, sighing heavily as he stared at the ceiling, thinking: he'd been in love with her for years, and now he desired her body, longed for her moans and the sight of her coming undone under him. She loved him too, he could sense her feelings, but she was fighting that, using meditation to clear her mind every morning and to maintain focus during the day – that's why she ignored him, for if she let her mind free even for a second, she feared she wouldn't be strong enough to focus on her job of protecting his mother.

Ben didn't know what to do. He loved and respected Sara enough to understand why she was being torn apart: she couldn't just choose to leave the Jedi Order, being a Jedi was part of who she was – and he didn't want her to become a compliant princess – for he loved her as she was. But he failed to find a way out of that situation.

_We are both doomed._ He thought.


	3. Their Doom

**Three months after Sara had arrived in Tandankin**

It was the night of Ben's 29th birthday and for that special occasion Leia had organized a big party, complete with a band, a sumptuous banquet and an open bar. And she'd also invited people from all over the Galaxy – most of them humanoid females.

Ben looked around the crowded ballroom and sighed in defeat; he had asked for a small simple party but his mother reminded him that he still had to find someone to marry.

He was tired of that; between his royal duties and Sara projecting her dreams into his mind nearly every night, all he wanted to do was get drunk just enough to find the courage to invade her room and fuck her until he knocked her up so she had to marry him.

**In Sara's bedroom**

Sara stared at her reflection in the mirror of her dressing table, her hands mechanically braiding her long hair, something she could do with her eyes closed by now. She reached the tip, tied a simple white band on it to hold the braid in place and stood up, considering herself ready – or as ready as she could be to face another night of women openly hitting on Ben.

She sat on her bed and put on her boots. Before leaving her room, she picked up the gift-wrapped box that lay on top of her bed: Ben's present. She had bought him a beautiful calligraphy set for she remembered how much he had loved to practice his elegant handwriting at the Temple but his set had been destroyed by the fire (which he had caused).

Sara walked three doors down the corridor and stood by Leia's door, Ben's present in her hands, as she wondered how she was going to give it to him; she couldn't just go to his room and personally deliver it, that would be too risky considering how out of control her feelings were. Luckily, the solution soon presented itself: as she waited for Leia, a service droid appeared in the corridor.

"Hey, Ran-D, could you do me a favour?" she said, walking towards it.

"Sure, Miss Sara." replied the yellow hovering long-armed droid.

"Take this box to Be... to the Prince's room, please." she quickly corrected herself.

"Sure, right away, Miss." Ran-D replied before taking the present and going downstairs to deliver it.

Sara sighed in relief and resumed waiting by Leia's door. Less than a minute later, the door was opened.

"Evening, Sara." Greeted Leia, looking at her with concern – as she had been doing for the past month.

"Evening, Your Highness." Sara replied with a bow.

They began to walk to the ballroom.

"Are you all right, Sara?" Leia asked.

"Yes. No problems in sight. The crowd tonight is larger, but security team is ready and everything has been double checked."

"Good." Leia frowned, noticing that the young Jedi had been avoiding answering that question for a while now, she always ended up talking about work, never about herself, and that confirmed Leia's suspicions that something was very wrong with her. But she didn't push Sara; whatever it was, the Jedi had to want to talk about it and that wasn't going to happen any time soon, as it seemed.

When they entered the ballroom, Leia's name was announced and claps followed it, many guests had already arrived so the Queen was immediately distracted by them, only she never let Sara too far from her sight during that night. And by doing so, Leia was able to begin to understand what the problem was.

* * *

Sara stood close to the Queen the entire party, only getting occasionally distracted by Ben's smile and laugh. He wore another outfit with the colours of Alderaan, the special made dark blue tailcoat added to his impressive figure, as always, and made him look dashing and sexy – and had her wanting to climb him like a tree. She would have to remember every detail of that attire to undress him in her wet dreams later.

* * *

Ben could feel her eyes on him, Sara was starting to project into his mind some sexy images of what she planned to dream about later – he could see clearly how she was planning to undress and ride him in her dreams – and those images made him wish he could just grab her and take her to a dark corner to fulfil those fantasies.

He sat down on one of the many couches that had been put in one side of the ballroom, his right ankle propped on his left knee, in a way to hide his half-hard cock. He had to block Sara's thoughts, much to his dismay, otherwise he would certainly embarrass himself.

* * *

**After dinner**

Leia raised her glass and proposed a toast: "I'd like to thank all of you for coming here to celebrate with us my son's birthday – the first birthday in over ten years I get to spend with him, for all the reasons you already know." She touched his arm and smiled at him. "And I'd like to say that, soon, I hope to be having another big celebration: his wedding."

Ben glanced at Sara but she had her face turned away, looking at the garden through one of the large windows, sadness filling her up.

He looked back at his mother, who was finishing her speech: "Also, I hope to be passing on the crown to him and his betrothed, soon after the wedding. And I must admit I dream of the day I'll be nothing but a grandma!"

People cheered and raised their glasses, toasting alongside Leia.

* * *

It was way past midnight when the party finally ended. The last guests were leaving and Leia declared she was going to bed.

Sara decided to stay behind and find some more of the delicious strawberry and chocolate bonbons that she had barely had a chance to eat during the party. She got a box full of them in the kitchens and sat outside in the garden to enjoy the moonlight as she stuffed her face with the delicious dessert. She was so focused on the taste of it that she never sensed Ben approaching.

"There you are." He casually said, walking out from between the flower beds.

Sara jumped to her feet, startled, nearly dropping her box of bonbons, and cursed herself; after many weeks feeding her desire for him in her dreams, the last thing she needed was to be alone with him.

"I thought the Jedi had to refrain from such pleasures." Ben pointed at the bonbons.

"Well, we shouldn't indulge in them, but it's not forbidden." She replied, clearly annoyed by his presence. "I've received information you were already in your room, Your Highness." She looked at him sternly.

"I tricked your Captain." He shrugged, ignoring how she had called him and walking closer.

"He's here to protect you, tricking him won't do you any good." She reprimanded him.

He stopped two feet from her, "Can I have one?" he pointed to the bonbons.

"Of course. They're from your party."

Ben took one and bit it in half, the juice of the strawberry dripping a little down his bottom lip. Sara gulped, wishing she could just get on her tiptoes and lick his lips clean.

"They are really good." He commented after finishing the bonbon and licking his lips himself.

"Yes. They're my favourite." She said, staring at the garden.

"I know." He whispered; he had asked plenty of times for the kitchen droids in Chandrilla to make those bonbons for her during their childhood.

They stood side by side in silence for a while.

"You know." Ben broke the silence, "It's a huge offense to be invited to a party and not give the host a gift."

"First, I wasn't invited: I'm part of the security team; and second, I did give you something. A droid took it to your room."

"I haven't seen it, so I don't know if it's true." he looked at her as if he had suddenly come up with a plan. "But I know how we can solve that."

"Yeah. You can go to your room and open the gift I sent there for you." Sara replied, maintaining the serious look on her face, while inside she was getting butterflies in her stomach – something in is smile was telling her that he was about to open a whole new box of problems for both of them.

"No." Ben shook his head, smiling mischievously. "I have a better idea: you can solve that by giving me a kiss, right here and now."

Sara thought she hadn't heard it right. "W-what?" She turned to face him.

"Only if you'd like that too, of course." Ben added.

"Are you drunk or something? Of course I won't kiss you." She put the box of bonbons on a nearby bench and tried to sound very much offended, with both her hands on her waist – but her fast-beating heart betrayed her.

"I can hear your heartbeat, Sara." he spoke softly, taking one of her hands in his, bringing it to his mouth, laying a kiss on her wrist. "I know you feel the same I feel." He finished, in a whisper.

"I can't... No, we..." she stuttered.

And he didn't wait for her to finish, pulling her towards him, he wrapped his arms firmly around her waist and kissed her lips. Sara let out a whimper and wrapped her arms around his neck, not being strong enough to stop herself; when his tongue invaded her mouth, tasting of chocolate, strawberry, and a hint of the sparkling wine he had had at the party, she softly moaned in pleasure. She ran her hands through his hair, messing up the perfectly styled strands. Ben picked her up and she barely noticed they were moving as he walked them to a more secluded spot in the garden, underneath a canopy of white flowers that seemed to glow in the moonlight.

He pushed her against the wooden post of the canopy, his lips never leaving hers, his hands going under her butt and hoisting her up.

Sara had her hands in his hair, his lips on hers, and her legs wrapped around his waist just like in her dreams. She caressed his strong shoulders and gasped when he rubbed his hard dick against her centre. She circled her hips, amplifying that sensation eagerly, whimpering in his mouth.

Ben devoured her lips, pulling her closer to him with desperate need; every one of her breathless gasps and moans drove him closer to insanity; her body against his was a perfect fit, and her lips were as soft and delicious as he had imagined them to be. He wanted more, he wanted to see his love marks all over her skin, he wanted to be buried so deep inside of her that they wouldn't know where one ended and the other began. He let go of her lips and trailed kisses down her chin, loving the way she threw her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to his kisses, submitting to the pleasure he was giving her.

Sara felt drunk of him: his smell, the heat of his body, the softness of his hair, the touch of his tongue against hers, his smell and the hardness of his body against her softer and curvier one – all was perfect. She was certain she'd burst into flames any moment if he kept on touching her. He pushed her harder against the post and bit her shoulder, leaving a mark for sure.

"I knew you felt the same." Ben whispered as he kissed a path up to her lips again. "I can't stop thinking of you. And now I can't stop tasting you." his mouth covered hers again, and her hands began to open up his buttons, caressing the skin she was slowly revealing.

Ben lifted her shirt and found her breasts, kneading them, pulling her bra to the side and pinching a nipple, making her moan: "Oh, Ben."

"Fuck, I like hearing you say that." He whispered, pinching the other, making her moan again. "Yes. That's something I definitely love to hear."

Sara knew she shouldn't let him do that, but how could she make him stop when what she truly wanted was more?

Ben could sense her small hesitation and he respected her too much to push her. He stopped touching her and pressed his forehead against hers, gasping: "Tell me to stop and I will, Sara."

She smiled, looking into his eyes, nipping at his bottom lip: "I should. I know I should. But I can't." she breathed before pulling him for another heated kiss.

"Do you trust me?" he asked over her lips.

"Yes."

"Then hold on to me."

She obeyed and he jumped high, reaching a balcony on the third floor – his bedroom balcony.

He walked into his room and put her down. The moment her feet touched the floor, he sensed she was beginning to think about running from him, so he wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her lips, obliterating any possible doubt from her mind.

Sara knew she had to ask him to stop, but she had no will to do so; more than just the physical attraction, her energy connecting to his and making her feel balanced was simply too good for her to resist. He stopped the kiss and stared into her eyes, trying to see if she was really second-guessing that. "Say the word and I'll stop, Sara." He whispered.

She shook her head, holding the hem of his shirt and pulling it off of him. "You can't tell anyone." she breathed, touching his naked chest.

"I won't." he picked her up again, her legs locking on his lower back, and carried her to his bed, laying her there and quickly lying on top of her between her legs. "You're so beautiful, Sara." he took her clothes off, kissing her all over until she lay naked and panting under him. Then he threw his pants and underwear onto the floor and they both gasped as their naked bodies touched. He kissed down her neck and played with her nipples making her moan breathlessly.

"Say my name, love." He asked as he kissed her lips again, his tongue passing over them, teeth nipping at her bottom lip. "I hate it when you call me 'highness'; I love hearing my name from between your sweet lips." he rubbed his dick onto her centre.

"Oh, Ben, fuck me." She rubbed her legs on his sides, locking them on his back afterwards, trying to pull him in.

"Now I think I have a new favourite thing you say." and he slowly entered her, groaning at the delicious way her pussy wrapped tightly around his dick. He looked at her face, committing to memory her every reaction as he entered her body: she had her eyes closed, strands of brown curly hair escaping her braid to stick to her sweaty skin, her lips parted as gasps left them, her skin was hot but it was nothing compared to the heat of her channel. Half-way in, he pulled back until just the head touched her entrance and began that slow torture inwards all over again, watching as she moaned and arched under him at the feeling of his hard dick penetrating her. He took her mouth, swallowing her every moan.

When he was finally balls-deep they were both panting and on the verge of cumming.

"Are you ok?" he murmured, kissing her lips.

"Yes. Now move." she ordered, fisting one hand in his hair.

"Bossy." and he thrust deep into her making her nearly scream. "That's it." he moved out and in again, making her arch on the bed. "So fucking wet and hot," he played with her breasts again, moving his hips in strong and deep thrusts, getting almost all out of her just to enter her again, getting as deep as possible and trying to get deeper, rubbing his pelvic bone over her clit. He never wanted to stop: the sight of Sara moaning under him was better than he could have ever imagined. She gave herself up to him completely, moaning his name, wrapping her legs around him tightly as her hands sometimes gripped his shoulders, other times her nails raked his back, and his hair was pulled every time his tongue invaded her mouth. Her moans increased and then he felt her pussy clench around him even tighter. "Yes. Cum for me, love." Ben groaned, and she obeyed, screaming his name and raking her nails onto his back. The way her pussy seemed to suck him in deeper had him joining her in pure bliss in just a few more thrusts.

They shared a breathless kiss, lips moving slowly against one another, feeling a sudden shift in the energy surrounding them.

"Do you feel that?" he whispered, lips still touching hers, his dick deep inside of her.

"Yes. I feel it. A soothing energy, it's so good." she looked into his eyes, one hand caressing his face. "I've loved you for so long, Ben." she quietly admitted. "But I know you'll never be mine."

"Just say the word and I will, Sara. I've loved you since we were at the Temple; when I saw you here, all those feelings awakened... I've been wanting to kiss you since day one."

"I can't have you, Ben, I'd have to renounce being a Jedi – and I don't think I can do that."

"I'd never ask you to." he kissed her neck slowly.

"The no-attachment rule." she threw her head back, exposing more of her neck to his kisses, circling her hips to encourage him to move again.

"I'm sorry to say it, love, but you seem pretty attached already." and he bottomed out, trying to get deeper inside of her, stimulating her clit again. The deepness of his thrusts making her moan loud. "Get on all fours." He ordered, getting out and off of her; and she obeyed quickly.

Ben stared at Sara for a moment, the sight of her naked sweaty body on all fours on his bed was just too sexy for him not to take a moment to appreciate. He touched her butt as he kneeled behind her, one hand on the middle of her back pressing her down a little, making her lift her ass higher for him. He caressed the outside of her pussy with the head of his cock. "You're so sexy, Sara." He breathed.

"Stop teasing me." She moaned.

And he entered her in one long thrust, gripping her hips with strength, keeping her exactly where he wanted.

"Oh, fuck." She gasped. "You're so much deeper."

"Yes. And I'm gonna cum so deep inside of you that you'll be dripping my cum for days." That image making them both moan.

Sara lifted her ass higher for his taking; and every slap of his balls against her outer lips had her moaning like a cat in heat. She lowered her hand to her clit, but he stopped her.

"Let me touch you. Show me what you like." and she took his much larger hand in hers, showing him how to caress her clit as he fucked her.

"Oh, yes. I can feel my dick entering you." he murmured as his hand caressed her pussy. He put his dick deep inside of her and stopped moving, palming all around her entrance. "This is so sexy, my cock stretching your tight pussy, my balls flush against you." he groaned and fucked her faster, caressing her clit and feeling her cumming a second time. "Yes. Cum for me again, and again." and he couldn't stop his orgasm, filling her up with his load once more.

When he stopped cumming, he lay down on the bed and pulled her to him, kissing her lips.

"What will we do now?" He whispered, touching her sweaty face.

"Nothing, Ben." She looked into his eyes. "I'm a Jedi assigned to protect your mother. You're a war hero, heir to the throne, who's looking for a bride." her voice broke as she finished, her eyes clouding with pain.

"I won't find any, you know that. Specially not after tonight." he kissed her lips again. "I guess we could just keep our relationship secret."

"That's what your grandfather did." She smiled weakly.

"I know. And it worked for years." he smiled.

"Yes, until he snapped and destroyed half the galaxy. Plus, your mother will continue to pressure you to marry. She really wants some grandbabies."

"Well, maybe we've just made her one." He caressed her flat stomach.

"Not possible. I'm on birth control." she sighed as he kissed down her neck, touched her breasts, trailing a path of kisses down her body, past her bellybutton.

"Well, we can keep practicing until your birth control stops having effect." He reached her inner thighs, noticing her skin was sticky between her legs. "This is so sexy." he whispered.

"What?"

"Your pussy: red, a little swollen and covered in both our cums." And he touched a finger to her entrance, making her tremble in desire.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, lying on top of her again, between her legs, kissing her lips and positioning his dick against her opening.

"Just a little. But I want more of you." she pulled him for another kiss, and he fully penetrated her in one sure thrust of his hips; Sara moaned in his mouth, her legs wrapping tightly around his hips, making it difficult for him to move. So he grabbed behind her knees and threw both her legs over his shoulders, opening her up for him further. When he moved his hips again, she screamed his name and gasped: "Oh, yes, you're so deep." And she melted under him, completely his to pleasure; their connection strengthened, and suddenly he could feel her in his mind, her love and the complete way she gave herself up to him. He used that to give her as much pleasure as possible, seeing in her mind what every movement of his hips did to her, and repeating all of those that had her shouting and arching under him.

Soon she was coming undone under him again, in a climax so strong she passed out the moment he spilled the last jets of his seed inside of her.

He rolled off of her and hugged her from behind, sleeping with his nose in her hair.


	4. Their Pain

Sara lay happily in bed, just waking up from the most amazing dream; she'd dreamed of Ben again, of them making love several times in his bed; it had been the first time she'd dreamed of them in his bedroom. She had undressed him of that beautiful outfit he had worn at his birthday party and he had made love to her, fucked her, spoke dirtily to her. She sighed; it had been a perfect dream.

She tried to roll over on the bed but a weight around her waist stopped her. _That's weird._ She thought, opening her eyes, blinking the sleep away and trying to see something in the dark room; but something was wrong: _This isn't my room._ She realized, her body freezing as she moved her eyes around the room slowly recognizing it: _This is Ben's room!_ It hadn't been a dream! She looked down at the weight on her waist and saw it was his arm, holding her naked body close to his. Then she remembered: the garden, the bonbons, the kisses and the sex! _No no no. I shouldn't have let this happen!_ She chastised herself.

But she had let it happen, had welcomed it eagerly; from the moment his lips had touched hers, she knew she'd let him possess her – and possess her he did. His touches had set fire to her body and every thrust of his hips had had her moaning, each orgasm stronger than the previous one.

She closed her eyes again, moving her legs, feeling how deliciously sore her pussy was, her whole body absolutely relaxed; she sighed and smiled – that night had been perfect and she'd never wish it hadn't happened.

Slowly, she turned around to face Ben. The white duvet covered both of them only from the waist down; she touched his face, the strong line of his jaw, his shoulder and the arm that held her close, committing to memory the beautiful sight of him sleeping so peacefully beside her; she brushed his hair away from his cheek and softly kissed his lips, breathing into his air, and felt him pull her closer. They were both naked, the heat from his skin against her own was intoxicating. Sara closed her eyes again, enjoying that moment a little longer. A tear rolled down her cheek as she kissed him again before escaping from under his arm, getting out of the bed, looking for her clothes in the dark and getting dressed.

She jumped from his balcony upwards to her own, walked into her room, locked the door and removed her clothes, lying under the covers on her bed in just her underwear, feeling cold all of a sudden – as if her skin missed his warmth and his presence. More tears came and she let them run freely and wet her pillow. She knew she had made a terrible mistake sleeping with him; she had named her feelings, declared them to him, and had a taste of what she could have with him; plus she was certain no wet dream of hers, no touch of her hands, would be able to satisfy her anymore.

* * *

When Ben woke up, his bed was empty. No signs of Sara but for the smell of sex, and the remnant dried fluids of their coupling on his sheets and on his body. A certain stain on said sheets had him freezing – blood. She had been a virgin. He realized in shock, jumping from the bed and getting dressed; there was a sudden need inside of him to go check on her, to see if she was fine and not hurt. He ran to breakfast, but Sara wasn't there.

"Good morning, mom." he greeted, sitting in front of Leia. "Where's Sara?" He tried to sound casual.

"She went straight to the gym. I told her she should at least eat something before engaging in exercise, but she said she wasn't hungry." Leia sounded concerned. "There's something going on with that Jedi, but I can't fathom what it is."

Ben just nodded, silently eating his breakfast, realizing he wouldn't have time to try and find Sara that morning, for he had a meeting with the Alderaanian Councillors in the conference room that would probably take all morning; at that thought, his need to find Sara grew, unsettling him.

* * *

It was a quarter past noon when the last person walked out of the conference room, and Ben quickly followed the man out, going to the dining room as fast as possible.

The entire morning he'd felt agitated, his Force-energy looking for Sara's – an unusual feeling that had him losing his focus several times during the meeting. He tried not to run towards lunch but the need to see her was taking control of him.

Finally, he reached the dining room and, the moment he walked in and sensed Sara, calm filled his mind. She was sitting beside his mother, already at the table, waiting for the droids to serve lunch. Ben walked to the table, noticing that Sara let out a breath of relief, discreetly, when he approached her – which showed him she had felt as bothered by the distance as he.

He sat in front of them. "Hello, Sara."

"Good morning, Your Highness." she replied, barely looking at him.

Ben's mouth turned into a thin line of disapproval as he looked at her; hearing her speak so formally to him was a bucket of cold water over his head, for her moans and gasps of pleasure were still present in his mind.

Leia frowned at the strange change in the room's energy at the couple's interaction; when Sara had first arrived on the planet, the two of them were always talking and laughing, but now they were so cold towards each other that Leia almost felt the need to put on a coat whenever she was around them. The droids brought food to the table and they began to eat, the oppressing silence making her uncomfortable, so Leia had to break it: "Did you enjoy your party last night, Ben?"

"Yes." He softly smiled. "As much as I hate those formal parties, last night was worth it." He glanced at Sara.

"How so?" Leia seemed suddenly very interested. "Did you meet a woman you liked?"

Sara gulped and looked at him, fearing his next words.

"No." Ben replied, his smiling quickly giving place to annoyance. "And we must stop that, mom. I am not choosing a wife out of duty."

"I know. And I don't want you to. But for you to want to marry someone, you have to meet the person, talk to her, go on dates. And it all starts with you finding her." Leia sipped her juice. "You know I want you to be happy, my son. I'd never force you to marry someone you don't love."

"So stop pushing me to find someone." He replied.

"That I can't do. First, because of the law: you must be married by your thirtieth birthday. And second: I want grandkids, you know. And soon; not when I'm too old to enjoy them."

Ben didn't reply.

Sara quickly cleared her plate off of the very little amount of food she had put there. "May I be excused, Your Highness? I must finish receiving reports from the guards about last night."

"Of course, dear." Said Leia.

* * *

A week passed by and Sara did all she could to never be alone with Ben. She could sense he wanted to talk to her, and she knew she wasn't strong enough to resist him in case he tried to kiss her again – quite the contrary: she was craving him; whenever they were in the same room together, her Force-energy looked for his and tried to merge with it somehow. Sara had to stop it from doing so at least five times a day, and it was draining her; at the end of the day she was exhausted, physically and mentally.

And her inner battle had become a bit obvious, at least for those who were Force-sensitive. And, unfortunately, Leia was.

"Good morning, Queen Leia." Sara greeted her, as Leia walked out of her room.

"Morning, dear. Is everything all right?"

"Yes. All guards are already at their posts, the droids are accounted for and..."

"No." Leia interrupted her. "With you. Are you all right, Sara?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

Leia sighed and frowned; she could tell that something wasn't right with Sara – and she was almost sure it had something to do with her son, but she didn't push the Jedi for an answer, sooner or later she'd find out what was going on.

* * *

For two weeks Sara succeeded in avoiding him; Ben never had the chance to talk to her alone. She had also stopped having dreams with him (at least he never received any one of those again). If he couldn't feel the way she was forcefully avoiding their new strengthened bond, he would take her indifference as a direct negative feedback on his bedroom skills. But he could tell she was deliberately blocking her feelings, he could feel every time he walked into a room his energy went out to her, but her energy never reached him. He could also tell such blockage was taking its toll on her: Sara looked tired and the guards that worked with her were beginning to talk about her moodiness.

* * *

"Do you really not know what's wrong with Sara?" Leia asked Ben one morning, when they were alone at the breakfast table once again.

"No. Why do you ask?" He played dumb, clearing his mind just in case his mother tried to dig for information.

"She hasn't been her usual self these past weeks. I'm worried. I can feel there's something weighing on her mind."

"I've got no idea of what it could be, mom."

And Leia could tell he was lying, but she let it go, for she had had an idea.

* * *

**Three days later**

Ben was leaving that morning to visit the small village of Aldera, where the alderaanians had just finished building their new homes and started to move in permanently. He was putting his suitcase on his landspeeder when Sara walked closer.

"I'll be accompanying you." She declared, throwing a small bag on the back seat and jumping into the front passenger seat, looking annoyed.

Ben glanced from Sara to the door of the Castle, where his mother was standing with a knowing smile on her face. He bowed his head at her and jumped into the driver's seat.

"May I know why you're here?" he asked as he put on his seat belt.

"The Queen's ordered me to accompany you. She said you'll need a low-profile security guard."

He just smiled and ignited the speeder, "I'm glad she sent you."

"I know you are." She whispered.

He sighed and started to drive.

On the way to the village, Sara was quiet but Ben could feel the annoyance and irritation slowly leaving her body. She was beginning to enjoy the ride – he could sense her feelings of peace and happiness as the wind caressed her face, her eyes closed. It filled his heart with joy to see her so relaxed.

"Stop staring at me and keep your eyes on the road." she said, not opening her eyes.

He openly laughed. "You know I could drive this with my eyes closed."

She looked at him, "Yes. But that doesn't mean you should."

He looked at the road for a moment. "It's just so good to see you like this. I've missed you – the real you, not the ignoring-me-and-calling-me-highness-all-the-time-you."

It was her turn to laugh. "I'm happy that we'll be helping the people to move into their permanent homes." She paused, getting serious. "There will be many there that actually lived in Alderaan, that were lucky to be travelling off planet in the moment of the destruction. People that lost their families and their homes, that had no place to call their own all of a sudden."

He glanced at her with a funny smile.

"What?" She asked.

Then he suddenly stopped the landspeeder.

"What are you doing? We're not there yet." she said, confused.

But Ben didn't reply, he just unbuckled his seat belt, got closer to her and pulled her into a kiss. Sara didn't try to stop him.

"What was that for?" she asked as she opened her eyes.

"Because you're amazing. And I love you." He kissed her again, not sensing any hesitation from her; she ran one hand through his hair, kissing him back with as much love and desire as he was kissing her.

When they finally stopped kissing, he said again: "I love you, Sara."

And she turned her face away from him, looking at the horizon. "You shouldn't talk like that, Ben." she whispered.

"Not talking about it won't make it go away, love." he put his seat belt back on and looked at her, having an idea. "Would you do something for me?"

"Maybe." she smiled.

"Be my friend for two days. Not the Jedi/General Antilles, just my friend Sara."

"Is that all you want from me?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"No. If I were having what I truly want, we'd only return home married and pregnant."

She couldn't stop the soft laugh that left her lips.

"But, I know I can't have that. For now." He continued.

"Be your friend?" she pondered. "Alright, Ben. I guess that's something I can do." She took her lightsaber out of the holster on her waist and put it in the glove compartment. "I'll leave my lightsaber in the speeder and won't use the Force until we're back in the Castle. But I'm afraid there's not much I can do about my clothes; all I have with me resembles Jedi clothes."

"That I can solve." He replied, taking a left and going towards the market. "Can you let your hair down? So that people don't recognize you."

"Not right now. It'll be a horrible mess if I get it out of this braid without wetting it. But I could, if I found a bathroom. What are we doing at the market?"

"Buying you some non-Jedi clothes."

"Dresses?" she sounded hopeful, beginning to allow herself to be just Ben's friend for two days.

He smiled at her. "If that's what you want. I remember how you loved to wear dresses, but your dad used to buy you nothing but shirts, pants and shorts."

She smiled at him sweetly, bending towards him to kiss his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You remember so many details about me... it just warms my heart – even though I shouldn't let those feelings..."

Ben parked the speeder beside the market, unbuckled his seat belt and kissed her silent. "Stop it, Sara. And let's get you some dresses."

"I'm gonna need some new shoes too." She added, with a smile.

"Of course you are." He chuckled.

And they walked into the busy market, going straight to a women's clothing store.

* * *

When Sara walked out of the store with two bags, it took Ben a moment to realize that the woman walking towards him was her: she wore a short-sleeved purple dress that had a delicate lacing of the same colour on the shoulders and upper chest, it went down to her knees in a fluid, very feminine way, and she had found a way to unbraid her hair – its waves ran down her shoulders, reaching the middle of her back in a cascade of chocolate brown curls; on her feet a simple flat white sandal.

She stopped in front of him, "We can go now."

Ben couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her; and Sara didn't try to stop him either.

"I guess you do want me to be a little more than just your friend these two days." she whispered.

"I've never wanted you to be just my friend, Sara. The marrying plan is still open for discussion too." He kissed her again and saw something – or better saying: someone – from the corner of his eyes. "We'd better go now. I think there's a reporter coming our way."

He grabbed her hand and they ran to the landspeeder.

"Do you think they've recognized me?" she asked, jumping onto the passenger seat and buckling up.

"No. They'll wonder who you are, but it'll take them a long time to find out the truth. Right now, you look nothing like my mother's Jedi shadow."

Ben quickly started the landspeeder and they resumed their way to Aldera.

* * *

**Aldera Village**

Since the moment they had arrived in the village, Ben and Sara worked nonstop, moving furniture from cargo containers into houses, entertaining kids, painting walls, cooking, cleaning, and helping prepare snacks and refreshments.

Sara had to stop herself from using the Force many times during the day. She had to remind herself that she wasn't a Jedi there – just Ben's companion. With that in mind, she tried not to focus on how that position made her feel diminished; but right then she realized she'd never be able to live her life like that: in Ben's shadow, being more decorative than relevant, renouncing to a very big part of herself.

Sara was about to take a walk alone to find a place to meditate, when the sound of children's laughter caught her attention and she walked towards them, soon finding herself caught in the middle of a game of tag.

Ben watched Sara playing with the village kids, and his mind pictured her with their kids, and the great mother she'd be.

"You're a lucky man, Prince Ben." Said an elderly man, sitting beside him. "I'm Dego Sylvan." He introduced himself and looked towards Sara. "She's an amazing woman."

"I know."

"Also, her family has always been loyal to yours. No more commendable union could ever exist."

Ben looked at him: "Do you know who she is?"

"Yes. But don't worry, not everyone here will realize that beautiful lady over there and the Jedi General that protects our Queen are the same person. But I knew her grandparents; and she reminds me of her mother – so beautiful and kind. Not one alderaanian will be sad to see you marrying her."

"Yes, but we can't..."

"For now." The man interrupted him. "I'm no Jedi, Your Highness, but I'm a priest, so I'm not fully oblivious to the messages the Force gives me sometimes. And I can tell you this: there will be a future for you two; the path will be painful though – as everything worth having is."

Ben smiled at him, looking back at Sara. He sent to her: _I love you._ And she immediately looked at him with her eyes sparkling, her chest moving up and down from the exertion of running around with the kids. She replied: _And I love you, Ben._ Making him smile.

"Will you be staying til tomorrow?" Dego asked.

"Yes. But we haven't set up our camp yet."

"Don't worry about that. I have two empty rooms in my new house – although I guess you'll only be needing one."

Ben chuckled, "Thanks for your kind offer, Sir. We'd love to stay at your house; and, yes, one room will be enough."

* * *

After the simple but delicious dinner, they all gathered around a small band formed by the some of the villagers themselves and they played old songs from Alderaanian tradition, and everybody danced. Sara was dancing with one of the teenager boys when Ben approached them: "May I?" he asked, one hand towards Sara, and the young boy jumped away from her quickly, bowing at Ben and running away.

"I think you've just scared him for life." She said, giving him one hand and laying the other on his chest; Ben wrapped one arm around her waist and began to move them around the makeshift dancefloor. The people watched them dance with a smile, commenting on what a beautiful couple they made and what an amazing queen such a compassionate young woman would be.

Ben looked at her face – she was happy, smiling, her blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight, a beautiful pink hue colouring her cheeks. "You're perfect, Sara." He whispered, pulling her closer, kissing the corner of her mouth.

"Stop it, Ben. Everybody is looking at us."

"Let them look. I love you." He touched his nose to hers, making her lift her chin up, their lips touching in a sweet kiss.

"I wish nothing but this existed." She whispered, sighing.

"Me too, love." He kissed her again. "We'll have to go back tomorrow evening... But we still have the rest of the night to ourselves, and we'll be staying in Dego's house. He's offered us a room."

"Just one room?" she asked with a smile, her nose against his neck, smelling his skin.

"Yes. Just one."

She chuckled and laid her head on his chest, not caring if they were moving according to the music or not, she was just going to allow herself to enjoy that moment.

* * *

The music still played outside when Sara and Ben walked into the bedroom in Dego's house.

"Don't turn on the lights." Ben whispered.

"Why not?" Sara asked, closing the bedroom door and removing her shoes.

"The moonlight." He replied, pointing at the window and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her. "I want to make love to you under the moonlight."

If she wasn't already completely in love with him, she'd be from that moment on.

He kissed her lips passionately, sensing her full heart was in that moment, not a hint of hesitation or fear – she was fully his.

"If we could marry tomorrow, would you marry me?" he asked as he kissed and bit down her neck.

"Yes. I even thought about it today." She admitted, making him look into her eyes. "I pictured us marrying here, with these people as our guests, celebrating with us." She touched his face. "I wish we could just live here, but..." and pain started to cloud her eyes.

"Shh." He kissed her. "Leave the Jedi away from here, remember? Just Sara; just you and me."

"Your friend." She smirked.

"No." he unzipped her dress on the back, letting it fall onto the floor. "We both know you're not just my friend; you're my lover, my bride-to-be-one-day." He kissed her again, pushing her against the wall and rubbing against her.

Sara whimpered, her desire for him taking control of her body, "I need you, Ben." She whispered, pulling his shirt off of him.

"You have me, love." He replied, before carrying her to bed, lying between her legs.

Sara unclasped her own bra and Ben pulled her panties down her legs, he kissed her lips and made a path down her body, biting her neck, suckling and nipping at her nipples, down her stomach and belly and, finally, reaching her entrance.

"Ben." she gasped, realizing what he was about to do a second before he did it.

He opened her outer lips with his thumbs and delved his tongue into her pussy. She nearly screamed, her hips buckling on the bed, he gripped her hips tightly, never stopping eating her pussy. She moaned, trashing her head against the mattress, her fingers in his hair, her hips moving against his face, fucking herself on his tongue. She was lost in the pleasure he was giving her and when he penetrated two thick fingers into her, her moans turned into near screams and her channel pulsed around his tongue and fingers, telling him she'd reached her climax; Ben didn't wait for her to recover from her orgasm, he kneeled between her legs and thrust his dick deep into her as her pussy still convulsed in pleasure, she arched on the bed, moaning loud and long.

"So fucking tight." He groaned as he got balls deep into her. "So hot." And he moved his hips forwards, getting as deep as possible, possessing her fully, making her tremble as he controlled her pleasure.

"Yes, love. You're mine." He groaned. "All mine." He pinched her nipples, ravishing her mouth, swallowing her moans. "Cum for me, make that delicious pussy try to swallow my hard cock, sucking all my seed from me to fill you up."

She screamed in pleasure, her body obeying him, a strong orgasm taking control of her, her pussy clamping on his dick, making her feel him deep inside of her; her womb contracted, as if begging to be filled by his seed. "I need... more. Harder." she gasped, her mind connecting to his even deeper.

And he felt what she needed, holding her legs wide apart and pounding into her like a mad man, making her moan his name and arch on the bed, he gave her a never-ending orgasm, and her pussy tightened up even more around his dick, making him lose control over his own body – and he climaxed with her, filling her up with long jets of cum.

He fell on top of her and rolled them so they were lying on their sides, noses touching, soft kisses being shared as their breaths returned to normal.

Sara opened her eyes to look at him.

"If this could be our future... it looks very good to me, Ben."

He smiled, hope in his heart: "Just say it, Sara, say it and we'll marry tomorrow."

She chuckled but didn't reply, touching his face before closing her eyes and falling asleep in his arms.

* * *

**The next morning**

Sara rolled on the bed, sensing she was alone in the room; she opened her eyes, staring for a moment at the soft sunlight that entered the room through the window – her mind telling her she shouldn't be doing that, that those stollen hours of happiness would come with a terrible price, that leaving him, watching him marrying someone wouldn't just break her: it would kill her. She closed her eyes again; she knew all of that, but she'd decided to pay the price – if those were the only moments she'd ever be able to be herself with him, to have a taste of their life together, she didn't care about the price, she'd pay it with a broken heart but a smile in her face.

* * *

Ben felt she'd awakened and that her mind was slowly being filled by fear, longing and pain. _Do you need me, love?_ He sent to her.

Sara seemed shocked for a moment, the fact he could talk to her through their bond without being in the same room revealed the strength of their connection. _No, Ben. Thanks._ She simply replied.

_Breakfast is almost ready._ He added.

_I'll join you in a moment. _She finished.

* * *

When Sara entered the kitchen, Ben immediately walked to her, wrapping his arms around her and sweetly kissing her good morning. She had chosen a blue dress that matched her eyes perfectly, her hair was down, falling on her shoulders in that mess of curls that he loved.

The sound of someone walking into the kitchen had them stopping the kiss.

"I'm glad to see you two so happy." said Dego. "Good morning."

"Sorry, Sir." said Ben. "Good morning; I went out and bought some things for our breakfast."

"I'll help clean up the mess afterwards." offered Sara.

"Thank you, my dear, but don't worry about it;" he sat at the table. "I must say it's an honour to have you two in my humble home."

"We'd like to thank you for having us here." said Sara.

Dego looked at her and smiled, beginning to help himself to the many delicious food Ben had bought.

* * *

The evening was upon them fast, and the moment to go back to their regular lives had arrived. Sara hugged everyone goodbye, trying not to cry. No one wanted them to go – and they didn't want to go either – but their responsibilities called; so they left before the sun had fully set, promising to return someday.

On the way home, Sara sat quietly, staring at the landscape, and at the stars that began to appear in the sky.

Ben could sense the sorrow that filled her mind.

"This pain is killing me, Sara." He whispered. "It makes me want to turn around and run away with you, live among the common folks and raise our kids near the Alderaanian elders."

Sara wiped away the tears that had fallen. "I shouldn't have indulged you, Ben." She whispered, looking at the Castle as it appeared in the horizon. "What we've had since yesterday was... perfect." She sighed. "But it's not our reality." she opened the glove compartment and took out her lightsaber. "I'm a Jedi and you... you'll be our king, you need a princess by your side."

"Not gonna happen." He angrily replied, parking the landspeeder beside the Falcon.

Sara jumped out with her bag and looked at him once more. "We're back to our duties, Your Highness."

And she could feel his outrage even as she walked away, reminding her that his feelings and hers were connected now, for the Force had bonded them.


	5. The Force Intervenes

**A week later**

Sara treated Ben with utmost respect in the days after they had returned from the village - but he didn't want that, he wanted her love, her laugh, her passion, not her deference. And he knew his irritation was becoming a problem, it was interfering with his focus and resulting in lots of broken things around the Castle.

* * *

Leia realized she had only made matters worse by sending Sara with Ben to Aldera; she thought that trip would help heal whatever was troubling their relationship, but apparently the problem was much more serious than she had originally thought.

* * *

One morning, ten days after their trip to Aldera, Ben had to talk to Sara about an upcoming trip of his, for he would need to take a group of security guards with him on that trip - his mother's orders. Finding Sara wasn't the problem, she was probably at the gym - where she always was whenever she wasn't following his mother around. The problem was stopping her from fleeing the moment her eyes spotted him.

Ben found her in the gym, as predicted, standing blindfolded in the middle of the fighting ring, lightsaber in hand. A machine was throwing flying targets at her and she had to destroy them with her lightsaber before they hit her; she stopped when she felt Ben enter, and ordered the machine to stop throwing the targets at her. She knew there was nowhere to hide so she took off the piece of fabric from her eyes and turned to look at him, panting.

"What can I do for you, Your Highness?" she asked, her tone respectful but her eyes filled with pain; her Force-energy reaching out to his as usual - and stopping before touching his as always.

Ben stared at her in silence for a second and she glanced at the guards that were training in the other room, showing him they weren't alone.

Ben could see the men through the open door, so he knew they would be able to hear their conversation. So, after a sigh, he spoke: "I just wanted to know if you've been informed that I'll be traveling to Naboo this afternoon with our Senator for a week of meetings with other representatives from out Sector, for we'll need some security team."

"Yes. Actually, I've already assigned a group to accompany you." she jumped out of the ring and Ben took advantage of that and walked closer to her, Sara stopped in her tracks and looked up into his eyes, unable to stop herself from glancing at his lips. She gulped, her whole body tensing up as she fought the need to press against his body and kiss him. She cleared her throat before speaking: "They'll be by the Falcon thirty minutes before the scheduled time to take flight."

Ben nodded, not moving away, just staring at her, his thoughts entering her mind: he wanted to take her in his arms, kiss her and make love to her until neither of them knew where one began and the other ended, until she was so full of his seed that it dripped down her thighs.

Sara closed her eyes, her body immediately responding to his thoughts, making her blush all over; she took a deep breath and whispered: "Stop it, Ben."

He smiled, hearing his name leaving her lips would have to satisfy him for the moment. He took a step closer to her, his body nearly touching hers, forcing Sara to raise her head up to keep looking him in the eye. He touched her exposed neck, his thumb on her bottom lip; her beautiful blue eyes staring up at him, begging him to stop while her tongue ran over her lips, wetting them, asking to be kissed.

"Oh, Sara, you're torturing us both." He whispered, his thumb caressing her lip. "I'll miss seeing you every day."

But before Sara could say anything, the sound of loud laughter from the next room made them jump apart.

Ben looked at her once more, "We'll be leaving at two p.m."

"They'll be by the Falcon. Have a safe trip, Your Highness." Sara bowed her head respectfully.

Ben's smile turned into a thin line of dislike but he left without another word.

* * *

**2 p.m.**

Sara stood beside Leia in the parking lot watching the Falcon disappear in the beautiful blue sky.

"It's always difficult to watch that ship leave." murmured Leia.

Sara gulped, trying to hide the pain in her chest that had started as soon as the ship was no longer visible in the sky; she just nodded at Leia and tried to make conversation: "I can only imagine, but you've been watching the Falcon leave and come back for years now - so you know she'll always return."

"Yes. But sometimes her occupants don't." she sounded sad.

Sara didn't know what to say then.

"I'll be in my room today, dear." continued Leia. "So you're dismissed from babysitting me for the day."

Sara bowed her head, "I'll be in the gym, if you need me, Your Highness."

* * *

**5 p.m.**

Sara had to stop her training session, she had a headache so strong that it made her nauseous. She'd even lost a friendly swordfight against one of the Queen's Generals, Ryan - something that had never happened before.

Ryan helped her up, "I'm not going to count this as a victory," he said. "For it looks like you're going down with something."

"Yeah. I don't feel so good." Sara touched her head. "I think I'll just rest for the rest of the day. But you can brag about defeating me, I won't take it personal."

The General laughed and she walked out of the gym.

* * *

On the way to her room, Sara felt a little dizzy, the nausea increasing, so she decided that jumping towards her balcony, on the fourth floor, wouldn't be a good idea; she took the stairs to her room instead, going straight to her bathroom. She hadn't used the large bath tub yet, so she realized that was a good day to inaugurate it. She began filling it up with hot water - and she could tell it was a little hotter than what she usually showered with, but she was feeling a bit cold so she left it that way. Then she went to her balcony as she waited for the tub to fill up; the sun was beginning to set in the horizon, painting the sky with beautiful shades of pink, orange and yellow. It reminded her of the evenings on Yavin, when she and Ben laid on the grass to enjoy the sunset after a tiring day of training.

Sara sighed, hugging herself - noticing that her skin was too sensitive, even to her own touch, almost to the point of pain. She walked back inside, going to the bathroom.

As she undressed, she noticed again how her own touch bothered her hypersensitive skin. _I must really be getting sick with something._ She thought, undressing and entering the tub, the hot water embracing her body, helping her relax. She wished it were just as easy to wash away the pain and the longing that threatened to suffocate her on a daily basis.

* * *

After nearly an hour soaking in the tub, the water was cold enough to make Sara shiver - or maybe she was beginning to have a fever, she couldn't tell which was the case, for her mind was a little slow. So she got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around her body and walked to her dresser.

She was about to put on her pajamas when a servant droid knocked, calling: "Miss Sara?" it was Ran-D.

"Come in." She said and the door opened.

"The Queen is asking for your presence at dinner, in her room, within the hour, Miss Sara."

"Sure. I'll be there."

She left the pajamas on the bed and put on some comfortable pants, a shirt and a sweater. She walked to her balcony again, enjoying the cool air of the evening on her face. But she shivered a little. _I may have a fever. _She thought, looking up at the sky and her thoughts immediately going to Ben. His absence had left a void in her mind, in the place his presence usually occupied; it left her feeling a strange longing - as if she was hungry, but too nauseous to eat anything. She shook her head, he was away for a little over four hours and her feelings were already a mess. Deciding that a few minutes of meditation could help, Sara sat on the floor of the balcony, legs crossed, and let her mind go blank - usually that was the only thing that helped her stop thinking of him. She meditated until she sensed that an hour had passed, then she stood up and walked to Leia's room.

* * *

"Evening, dear." greeted Leia as Sara walked in. "I'm feeling a little blue today."

"I can sense it. And it's understandable, seeing your son leave for a week for the first time since the end of the war must make you uneasy."

Leia showed Sara to chair by a small table where dinner had already been set, before sitting down herself. "Yes. It makes me think of all the loved ones that were taken away from me unexpectedly; and I know the war is over, that there's only a handful of crazy fanatics out there, and that my son can easily protect himself from them; however I can't help but fear that Ben could not return."

Sara tried to hide the small panic that those words started in her mind as she sat down in front of Leia.

"I can see you're also a little off, Sara. And it's been a while now."

Sara just smiled and was about to give some generic answer, but Leia raised her hand, stopping her:

"Don't lie to me, dear. I haven't been trained in the Force like you, but I can sense your turmoil. It has gotten worse after your trip to Aldera. And I already have a very good guess about what's happening. But would you like to talk about it?"

Sara stared down at her plate, biting her bottom lip in a clear sign of nervousness, pondering if she should tell Leia everything or just maintain her lie.

"I won't lie then." Sara finally spoke, looking into Leia's kind eyes. "But I can't... I won't discuss it. Naming it, talking about it, gives it power and I... it has already enough power over me as it is."

Leia frowned, sensing that the weight of that pain was almost crushing the young Jedi.

"I won't push you then." Leia said. "But I could call Luke here if you need his guidance."

"Thanks for offering. But not now. If I see that I won't be able to control it anymore, I'll ask you to call him here. I promise."

Leia nodded, accepting Sara's promise. Then she smiled and they began to eat; Leia changed the subject: "Has anyone ever told you I had a huge crush on your dad when we were teens?"

Sara was momentarily stunned by that, "What? I didn't know that!"

"Oh, but it is true! Let me tell you..."

And the rest of the night was filled by stories from Leia's teen years, Sara's parents, and lots of laughter - being a good distraction for both women.

* * *

**In the next morning**

Leia woke up feeling a little better than the previous day, her dinner with Sara had done wonders to lift her spirits after. She opened her bedroom door, ready to go to breakfast with the Jedi, but stopped short, looking up and down the corridor - for the first time in months, Sara wasn't there.

"Where's Sara?" she asked the Ran-D droid that was cleaning the corridor.

"She hasn't left her room yet, Your Highness."

Leia frowned. Something was wrong, Sara was never late, she always woke up early to meditate in her balcony, and at 8 a.m. she was standing by Leia's door, every day; even if Leia slept in, Sara would stay there patiently waiting for her to leave the room and begin her day.

Leia walked to the Jedi's bedroom, opening the door and seeing that the young woman was still in bed, she walked in and went towards her, noticing with each step closer that something was indeed wrong: Sara looked pale, her forehead was dotted with so much sweat her hair was wet around her face.

"Droid!" Leia shouted. "Get me the meddroid here, now!"

* * *

It took but two minutes for the meddroid to arrive, he went straight to Sara's side and began checking on her. Leia paced nervously beside the bed, looking at the woman and the meddroid.

When he finally stopped beeping and prodding Sara, he spoke: "There's nothing wrong with her."

"What do you mean? Look at her!" Leia was almost shouting, worried. "There must be something wrong! Could she have been poisoned?"

"No. There's absolutely nothing wrong with her, Queen Leia. Physically she's fine. But I've had a diagnostics upgrade when she came here - for she is a Jedi - and, according to that upgrade, this could be a physical manifestation of a spiritual problem."

Leia stopped and looked at Sara, nodding slowly, letting out a deep worried breath. "Yes. I think that's the case." She remembered Sara's undiscussed problem.

"Can you help her solve this spiritual problem?" The droid asked. "Because her fever is running a little too high and that can quickly become a physical problem, if she starts convulsing."

Leia sat beside Sara's bed. "I'm not sure what to do, but I'll try talking to her."

"It could help." Agreed the meddroid. "I've given her the maximum safe dosage of anti-thermals. Call me if she starts sweating more or twitching."

Leia nodded, gulping, worry filling her mind, for she had a bad feeling about that.

* * *

Sara woke up feeling like her brain had been replaced by a pile of goo. She tried to sit up on the bed, noticing that the sunlight coming through the window was a little too strong to be early morning. Also, there was someone in her room, she could sense who that person was... "Leia?" she whispered, her mouth dry. "Water..."

"Sara!" Leia grabbed a glass from the nightstand and brought it to Sara's lips. "Drink this, dear."

Sara took a few sips and felt like she could speak again: "What time is it?" She asked with some difficulty.

"It's mid afternoon, dear. 3:25."

"What? What happened? Why am I still in bed?" she touched her head, feeling how tangled and damp her hair was.

"Sara, you've been bedridden for the past four days." Leia sounded serious.

That had Sara looking at her in silence, trying to understand why Leia was attempting to scare her; but, instead, she sensed truth. So the only thing that she thought to say was: "Why?"

"We don't know. The meddroid said it's something spiritual that's hurting you physically."

Sara fell silent and frowned, thinking about what had happened; suddenly she seemed to finally understand the problem, sighing in annoyed defeat.

"It looks like you know what's wrong with you." Said Leia.

"Yes. I do."

"It's about that thing you don't want to talk about?"

"Yes." Sara touched her hands to her sweaty face, searching her feelings she could see clearly why she was sick: the strengthened bond that she was fighting hard against; for some reason the Force had sent her body into shut down because of Ben's absence. She chuckled at her own predicament; her sickly state served to show her that it didn't matter how hard she continued to fight it: the Force wanted them together, and it would even risk Sara's life to get what it wanted.

"Talk to me, Sara." Pleaded Leia, and Sara could sense she was using compulsion even though she hadn't been trained to do so.

"All I can tell you is that the Force wants me to do something that I... can't do, even if I wanted to - and I do! But I can't."

"You're going against the Force's will?" Leia seemed even more concerned.

"Yes. And I'm clearly losing." Sara spoke, smiling over her own misery. "I need to shower."

"I don't think it's safe for you to get up."

"I'm feeling well enough, just a little nauseous; don't worry." She threw the covers away from her.

But Leia touched Sara's shoulder, keeping her from kicking her legs out of the bed. "You're only awake because of huge doses of anti-thermals that were shot into your bloodstream." She took a deep breath, her voice heavy with worry: "Sara, your fever could've killed you."

Sara took Leia's words for overprotection, so she ignored them, deciding she felt well enough to get up; so she tried to move her legs to the side of the bed anyway but, suddenly, the whole room seemed to spin, the effort of making such a small move was enough to drain her of whatever little energy she had left. Sara closed her eyes and pulled the covers back over her legs, resting her head on her pillow again, deciding it would be better not to try to get up, no matter how disgustingly sweaty she felt.

Leia sat back down on the chair beside the bed. "Now that you're awake, the meddroid will begin lowering the medication so that we can see how better you've truly become."

Sara just nodded, feeling sleepy all of a sudden. No, it wasn't sleep, she was about to faint. And she did, her last desperate thought going to Ben: _Please, come back. I need you._

* * *

**Naboo**

Ben was walking down the corridor of the sumptuous hotel in his dark teal, blue, and silver embroidered official uniform, attracting many stares on his way to dinner, when he felt a sudden change in the Force that had him stopping in the middle of the corridor. He focused on what he was hearing: someone needed something, he closed his eyes, looking for the person that was sending the message, and he heard their voice more clearly, they were asking someone to go back. Suddenly, his heart nearly stopped as he recognized that voice: "Sara." he whispered, quickly dialling his mother's number on his holocomm. It took a while for Leia to answer, which added to his nervousness, Sara's pleading voice replaying in his mind.

"Ben." Said Leia when she finally answered; and he could tell even through the shaky hologram that she looked tired.

"How are things there, mom?"

"Not good, son. Sara is sick. Very sick."

He felt an ice-rock settle into the pit of his stomach.

"What's wrong with her?"

"The droid doesn't know. He says it's not physical, it's..."

"The Force." he interrupted, nodding.

"So you know what she's been fighting against?"

"Yes. I'll go back home, I can help her." He turned around in the corridor, returning to his room to pack his things.

"Yes. It'll be better. I'd never ask you to abandon a diplomatic mission, Ben, but this is serious."

"How long has she been sick?" he asked.

"Four days."

"What?" he almost shouted, his heart nearly stopping in fear of losing her. "Four days and you didn't call me? She's important to me! She's my friend!"

"I know! We'll talk more when you arrive. I'm too tired now, Ben. Her fever is under control, she even woke up for a few minutes today; the meddroid thinks she'll be fine for the next six hours, so I'll take a nap."

"I'll be there tomorrow afternoon." and he hung up.

_I'm coming home, Sara._ he sent her.

* * *

The meddroid noticed the small smile that suddenly graced his nearly comatose patient's lips, Sara's whole body seemed to relax and the monitors showed her heartbeat had slowly gotten back to normal. The droid pondered how he'd never fully comprehend the organic beings and their feelings, and also wondered what could she be dreaming about.

* * *

**In the next morning**

Sara didn't wake up, but her fever hadn't worsened during the night, so it was good news.

After lunch, Leia was standing on Sara's bedroom balcony when she saw a familiar ship enter the atmosphere a little too fast.

The Falcon landed close to the front door and Ben almost ran down her ramp; he looked angry and worried, his official uniform adding to the powerful aura he exuded. Leia could bet no one would dare stop him on his way to Sara's room. She turned around and walked into the room, only to be surprised by Sara sitting on the bed, no longer looking pale and sick.

"Sara! How are you feeling?" Leia ran towards her.

"Surprisingly better. My head is still foggy from the meds, but I think I can even stand." Sara threw the covers away and sat on the edge of the bed, her feet touching the floor for the first time in five days. "I truly need a shower and clean clothes. And food, I'm starving."

Leia looked at her as if she had gone mad - or maybe Leia herself was the crazy one. Sara's sudden recovery was unbelievable, inexplicable.

"How is this possible? You were on death's door yesterday." But her questioning was interrupted by her son storming into the room.

Ben's eyes met Sara's and she held his angry gaze for a second before staring at the window, looking saddened by his presence.

"Hi, mom." He turned to Leia, hugging her. "She looks better."

"Yes. And I'm still trying to understand that... She was dying and now she's..." suddenly it occurred to her. She looked from her son to the woman picking up clothes in the wardrobe as if she had never been sick in the past five days, even less dying. "Oh, I see it now." Leia whispered, sadness in her eyes, as she touched her son's face and turned around, leaving the room with her heart aching for the young couple inside.

Sara tried to ignore Ben's presence in her room, her feelings were all over the place, and she knew she looked a mess and smelled worse. She wanted to get in the tub and cry her eyes out while eating a couple of burgers. She had been taught a lesson by the Force itself and that angered her, for she didn't have the power to solve that situation - she wanted to be with Ben! The Force was punishing the wrong person. Luke should've been the one agonizing in a bed for almost a week, not her; he was the one that didn't want to revoke the no-attachment rule.

"I heard you call me." Ben spoke, her turmoil reaching him and making him want to hold her close, assure her that everything would be all right - but he didn't know that, and he couldn't lie to her.

"I know you did. And I heard you." Sara replied softly, standing by the bathroom door with her clothes in her arms, staring at him, the pain in her eyes breaking his heart.

"Tell me what to do, Sara, and I will." He said. "Do you want me to drag my uncle here, torture him until he drops that rule? Kill him? Just say the word and I will."

She smiled at his offer. "It's tempting, but no. Your mother's offered to bring him here too - only on more friendly terms. However, he can't see me like this; I've already broken the Code, he could have me expelled from the Order just by loving you."

Ben let out a breath, not knowing what to say.

Sara sighed heavily, feeling calmer because of his presence.

"I need to shower now, Ben. I feel disgusting."

"Do you want me to stay here?"

"No. Please, don't." She replied, while in her heart she wanted him to never leave her sight again. "Just, maybe, don't go off planet again."

He smiled, "I won't."

"Thank you." She whispered before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

* * *

As the days went by and Sara's routine went back to normal, she felt her annoyance grow. Yes, Ben was close, but she still had to ignore him, and block her energy from merging with his while also being on high alert to any possible threats to Leia's life. At night, she trained herself til exhaustion, so that she was so beat when her head hit the pillow that she didn't even dream.

Ben could see she was slowly withering away in front of his eyes. He didn't see her at meals anymore, so he worried if she was starving herself to avoid him. "Is Sara eating at all?" he asked his mother one morning.

"She's having her meals with the guards in the refectory." Leia looked at him. "Listen, about tonight's dinner party."

Ben sighed in irritation. "You have to call these off, mother!"

"I will. But the next two - tonight's and next month's - are impossible to cancel. But these will be the last two."

"Thank you."

"But what I want to tell you is that Sara won't be attending tonight's dinner party. She's asked my permission to stay in her room after she trained, and I said she could do that." She ate a little before speaking again: "Regarding the law... I'll ask the Council to alter it, if we're lucky, they'll accept having a single man for king."

"You know they won't." Ben whispered.

And that reply had Leia staring at him in anger. "And what do you want me to do, Ben? Force you to marry someone?" she nearly shouted.

"No. But you could talk to your brother!" He raised his voice as well.

"I will, of course. But I've been unable to contact him the past week." She looked at her son. "I won't allow this situation to go on any longer than it already has. The Force is punishing Sara, and I can't stand it."

Ben just nodded, not wanting to tell his mother that he could feel Sara's pain and it was hurting him as well.

* * *

**Later that night**

After the dinner party had ended, Ben sat in a garden bench with half a bottle of wine that wouldn't be enough to get him drunk - and getting drunk wasn't his goal anyway - he just needed that tightness in his chest to get a little less tight. He looked at the moon, remembering the days he'd spent with Sara in the alderaanian village; her smiles, her full commitment to those people, to him, to their love. He remembered how beautiful she'd looked under the moonlight, how she moaned and trembled as he made love to her.

He chugged the rest of the wine and held his head on his hands, feeling miserable.

Suddenly he saw someone walking through the garden, from the gym to the main house: it was Sara. Apparently she had been training for the past four hours; and he knew why: she was exhausting herself so that she felt nothing but tiredness and sleep came more easily.

He watched her jump to her bedroom balcony and decided to solve the tightness in his chest another way. He got up from the bench, waited a few minutes and jumped after her.

* * *

Sara took a long shower, her muscles sore from her intense training session, and was drying her hair while leaving her bathroom. Her mind was thankfully blank so she knew she wouldn't be dreaming of a certain prince that night - however, her thoughts seemed to have summoned him there physically.

"Ben!" she exclaimed, holding her towel against her body, not believing he was really there. In her surprise she was unable to block her energy from finding his and the merging of their energies had her sighing in pleasure, her soul feeling balanced and calm.

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly, looking at him.

"I needed to see you."

She closed her eyes a second. "You've seen me, now you must go."

"I can't."

"Did you find a suitable bride at tonight's party?" her voice filled with pain and jealousy.

"Don't insult me by asking that, Sara." He looked a bit angry. "You know I won't find anyone."

"But you must."

He didn't reply, he just took two steps and was in front of her, touching her face. "You are suffering." he continued, ignoring what she had said. "And I am too. I don't know how you keep fighting the Force, but I can't. I'm not strong enough to ignore this need..."

"Ben." She whispered seconds before he brought his lips onto hers, wrapping his arms around her waist as his tongue invaded her mouth in a desperate kiss. She didn't fight him, desire taking over her, her towel crumpling onto the floor and his hands owned her body, branding her as his.

Sara pushed him towards the bed, where he fell on his back and she sat fully naked on top of him, while he still wore the official uniform he had worn to the party.

"I love seeing you in this uniform." She admitted, opening the many buttons of his vest. "You look so sexy, powerful."

"I love what you're wearing too." His hands roamed her naked body. "You're perfect, Sara." he grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and brought their lips together again. She rubbed her pussy on his lower abdomen, needing some friction between her legs. He broke the kiss to help her get his shirt off of him. She kissed down his naked chest going to his abs and pulling his pants down; his hard member sprung free and she licked its head, making him groan. She sucked him down as far as she could and he could tell she was enjoying it, she licked and suckled his cock as if it was a delicious popsicle, her tongue finding that special spot under the head and driving him crazy. Soon he would be filling her mouth up with his load if she didn't stop.

He grabbed her hair again, pulling her away from his hard member. "Ride me." he ordered.

And she quickly obeyed, straddling his hips, she rubbed her pussy on his cock, before slowly sitting on him, her tight hot channel wrapping around his dick perfectly. He grabbed her hips and helped her move up and down on him.

"You're gorgeous, love. But too silent." he pulled her down on him and raised his hips at the same time. She screamed and trembled. "That's it. Give me more of those sweet sounds." and he repeated the deep thrusts until she was cumming and nearly shouting his name. Then he flipped them, using the Force to pin her hands on the bed over her head. He kissed her, stealing her breath, swallowing her moans. He held her thighs wide open and fucked her with abandon, making her cum again as he played with her nipples. "You're mine, love. Just you, no one else. I love you."

Sara cried out his name between gasps and moans while her body still climaxed. The sight of her coming undone under him was too much, he trust into her a few more times and filled her with thick spurts of cum.

He kissed her lips softly, enjoying the post orgasmic bliss together; the balance of their souls acting like a balm to their pain.

"I love you, Sara." He pressed his hips against her, getting his dick even deeper, making her moan his name.

"Oh, Ben."

And soon he was pounding into her again, fucking her like a madman, just wanting to give her more and more pleasure. She tightened around his dick as she came under him for the third and then for the fourth time, screaming his name, her legs sprawled for him to fuck her, and he spilled deep inside of her again, feeling some of his cum dripping out of her sore pussy.

He kissed her lips until their breaths had returned to normal, then he lay beside her, pulling her to his chest.

Sara closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his skin against her, letting the sound of his heartbeat and the complete balance of her soul lure her to sleep, and she fell into a deep restorative sleep, as she hadn't had in weeks.

* * *

Leia's room was three doors away from Sara's, so she was able to hear some of what had happened in Sara's room.

Leia lay in her bed, her heart heavy for them. She knew now why she felt so anguished sometimes during the day - it was their pain that was entering her mind.

And that was the reason Ben hadn't even tried to find a bride at the dinner parties: his heart was already taken.

In that moment, Leia knew she had to contact her brother soon.

**Note: **Next chapter is the last; hope you're enjoying this story!


	6. Their Future

**Three days later**

"Your uncle will be arriving tomorrow." Said Leia, as she was having lunch with Ben in the quiet dining room.

Ben looked at her with interest: "Have you already told him the reason you're calling him here?"

"No. I told him he'll understand when he arrives."

He nodded, frowning slightly.

"You don't look happy about it, son." Said Leia.

"I don't believe he'll revoke the no-attachment rule. Also, I fear he'll expel Sara from the Order, and that will break her." He sighed. "She was so happy when we travelled to the village; she loved helping the people but I could see her refraining from using the Force many times; for I'd introduced her as my companion, so no one could know she was your Jedi guard."

Leia shook her head, her eyes reflecting the sadness in her son's. "Sometimes I wonder if these problems happen in every family or is it just ours that is this malfunctioning."

Ben chuckled.

* * *

**Next morning**

Leia stood close to the door of the house, waiting for her brother to arrive, the rain outside was unrelenting, as if the weather had changed just to match the emotional storm that was about to hit the interior of that building.

Luke's ship landed and he ran out of it and into the house.

"Welcome, my brother." Leia greeted him

He pulled her to a hug, kissing her forehead.

"It's so good to see you, Leia." he looked around. "Where's Sara?"

"In my office." Her brother was about to complain, but she raised a hand, stopping him: "I ordered her there when your ship entered the atmosphere so that we could walk alone for a moment."

Luke frowned a little but offered his arm to her, which she readily accepted, and they walked to her office.

"It's so peaceful here." He commented with certain hesitation.

"But?" Leia asked with a soft smile.

"There's some sort of sadness too. And the Force is very present here. Was it always like this? I don't remember ever learning that Tandankin had a strong Force presence."

"No, it wasn't like this. It changed a few months after your padawan arrived."

"And why was that?"

"You'll see." She enigmatically answered.

They entered her office and she closed the door behind them. Sara was in there, waiting for them.

"Master Luke." Greeted Sara, standing up and bowing respectfully at him.

His frown deepened but he kept quiet.

"Sara, would you give us a few minutes alone?" Asked Leia. "You can speak to your Master after I've had a word with my brother."

"Sure, Your Highness. Excuse me." She left, closing the door.

"What's happening here, Leia?"

"Did you feel it?"

"Yes. Sara is in deep turmoil. Her energy is unbalanced and anguished, so much so that it made me uneasy. What happened to my once perfectly balanced padawan?"

"My son happened."

Luke stared at his sister for a minute, taking a deep breath, heavily concerned about all the implications of that revelation.

"I've always felt something around them." He finally spoke, nodding. "Since they were kids their energies just connected, their friendship was genuine and... It was almost like they could hear each other's thoughts. But they aren't kids anymore, Leia. And she's a Jedi, she must follow the Code."

"And yet the Force has made then more connected than ever before. That's why you felt Sara's unbalance, she's been blocking that connection, avoiding Ben like he's the next Vader. Only... that's causing them both to suffer. My brother, the Force is connecting them despite all of Sara's attempts to stop it."

"That's why you asked me here." He paused, maintaining a serious demeanor. "Because Sara needs guidance. She was always perfect in her training and respectful to the Code, I'm sure this will easily go away once I've helped her control her emotions."

Leia scoffed and smirked, not shy on her way of showing him how wrong she thought he was. "The Force is connecting them, Luke. But, if you don't believe that, do what you can to help her, although I think at this point she'll ask to leave."

"If leaving is the best for her, I'll take her with me."

Leia shook her head in annoyance at her brother's stubbornness. "Leaving won't be the best for her; Luke, I know for sure they are in love; you felt her pain. The Force is connecting them! If she leaves, we'll all lose her; you'll lose your padawan and Ben will lose the woman he loves, for it'll break her to have to choose between Ben and the Order. The only solution is you revoking the no-attachment rule."

"I'm not sure I can do that, Leia." His tone was final.

Leia looked at him with an expression that screamed he was an idiot, but all she said was: "So it'll be best she leaves."

* * *

Ben was in the library, nervously waiting for his mother. She'd asked him to stay away from his uncle, for she feared he would resort to physical measures to make Luke revoke the no-attachment rule that was causing him and Sara so much suffering. And Ben knew she wasn't wrong, he wanted to make his uncle revoke it, and he didn't care about the methods he'd have to use to achieve that.

The library door opened and Leia walked in, looking angry but satisfied.

"So?" Ben asked. "How did it go?"

"It'll be harder than I've expected; he said he's not revoking it."

Ben looked at the book in his hands for a moment, suddenly throwing it on the other side of the room in an angry burst of energy.

"This can't go on." He growled. "Where is he?"

"He's in the garden, speaking with Sara." Leia walked to him and held both his arms. "Ben, listen: I know you want to make him understand, but he won't. Luke's never been in love. He doesn't know what that feels like. Sure, he loves us, me as his sister and you as the little starfighter boy he saw grow up. But passionate love, sexual love, he's never had that." She sighed, knowing Ben wasn't going to like what she was going to say next: "I told him it would be best if Sara left."

"What?" he exclaimed. "She'll die! The moment she leaves the atmosphere, the Force will make her sick again!"

"Exactly." Leia smiled. "If Luke makes her leave, he won't get very far with her. And then he'll see his only choice is to revoke that stupid law or lose his perfect padawan."

Ben shook his head. "I don't like your plan. But I see how it could work. If he decides to take her away, we'll have the meddroid ready to care for her the moment she's back."

"Sure, Ben." She touched his face. "Though you're all she'll need to get better."

* * *

Luke found Sara sitting in the garden, meditating.

She felt him approach and opened her eyes.

"Master."

"Sara. How is your mission going?"

"Great, Master. We're tracking some possible terrorist groups and keeping the Queen safe."

"Leia told me something that has me worried, Sara."

She seemed nervous all of a sudden, fearful even, she gulped and spoke quietly: "I need your guidance, Master, my feelings are..."

"All over the place. I can feel them." He didn't sound happy with her. "When you came here, you were perfectly balanced and focused. What happened?"

She hesitated, her eyes filling up with tears of fear. "Ben happened." Her voice weak, nearly a whisper. "I need you to help me control my feelings again, Master, so that I can put this behind me and leave."

"Leave? On whose orders?"

She blinked, one tear escaping her eye. "I must leave, Master. Please. I can't take this anymore." Her voice breaking.

"Can't take what, Sara?"

She saw he was using her moment of openness and honesty to test her, and that attitude fed the anger inside of her and she quickly had to control it, before he noticed. She decided to tell her Master the truth, consequences be dammed: "Ben will have to marry soon, and I can't stay here to watch that happen. I don't even know who she is and I want to kill her." She looked him in the eye, letting him feel the strength of her hate. "I feel this uneasiness, this pain... I'm about to break the Jedi Code, and I don't want to do that. Being Jedi is what I love to do and... that's why I must leave."

"You've already broken the Code if you love him." His tone dry.

And his words hit her like a punch, she looked away. "I know." And tears rolled down. "Just let me go. Put another in my place."

"Would you trust Leia's safety to someone else?"

That had Sara wincing; he knew she'd never do that, protecting Leia was the most important mission in the Galaxy. She didn't reply.

"I'll teach you some more mind exercises." Continued Luke. "You must practice them every day, whenever you need. They'll help stabilize your connection to the Force. In the meantime, just avoid Ben. Your will must be stronger than your feelings."

And Sara knew arguing with him would take her nowhere, so she just nodded and sat down for her lesson, certain that her Master's test would be the end of her.

* * *

Leia watched her brother's ship depart with a heavy heart, knowing that his going there had done more harm than good. She walked into the Castle after a while, seeing her son coming towards her.

"He didn't take her." Ben asserted.

"No. He told me he's given her some new mind exercises and that she may be in deep meditation in the training room until tomorrow; and she must not be disturbed."

"I regret not burning him down with his Temple." Growled Ben.

Leia touched his arm, "I ask you to trust me, son. I'm not trained like you or Sara, but I've learned long ago to trust my feelings. And I'm certain this will be solved, with the best outcome. I just thought it would be sooner rather than later; but trust me: you and Sara will survive this and have a future together."

He smiled softly and nodded. "I'm not sure I have much of choice, mom. But you aren't the first person to tell me that. So I guess I'll just have to trust the Force."

* * *

**The Next Day**

Ben sat in the shadows of the garden, waiting for Sara, his eyes fixed on the gym's doors. It was almost midnight when he saw her finally cross the grounds and jump into her balcony. He could feel her turmoil, it was even worse than before Luke's new exercises.

He jumped after her, finding her standing by the balcony's door, her eyes focused on something inside her room; he looked at what she was staring at: a table filled with her favorite food.

"This is your doing, isn't it?" Sara whispered, sensing he was behind her.

"Yes. I knew you'd be hungry after..."

The sudden sound of tears made him run towards her as she fell onto her knees, her legs having no strength left to keep her up, and sobs shook her body.

He kneeled in front of her, pulling her to his chest, holding her as she let all her pain out. Her soul connected with his with no interference, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, fisting her hands in his hair.

He held her until her tears stopped, her face buried in his neck.

"I'm so lost, Ben." She lifted her head, touching her nose to his, looking into his eyes. "I love you, when I think of my future, I want you in it, but..."

"I know, love. I understand. You'll never be happy as just a consort, I know." He kissed her lips softly. "But your pain is killing me. Let me take care of you tonight."

"Be your friend again?" she smiled softly.

"No. My bride-to-be-one-day. My wife. My lover."

She looked into his eyes and nodded, so he put his arms under her and stood up, carrying her bridal style.

Sara let her head fall on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He carried her to the bathroom, where a droid was finishing filling up the tub. Sara sensed the warmth of the water and opened her eyes in time to see the droid leave the room. "You planned this." She said softly.

"Yes. I knew you'd be in pain; I can't stand to feel you suffering..." he let her stand between him and the tub and undressed her. "I called the kitchens and asked the droids to send food to your room and to start a bath the moment you walked out of the gym."

"You're so perfect, Ben. In moments like this I don't hate the Force for bonding me to you."

"Do you hate it sometimes?"

"A little, yes. Because I shouldn't be the one hurting when this is all my Master's fault. Love should never be a source of pain, only of acceptance and comfort."

He touched a finger to her lips. "Clear your mind now." His voice soft and compelling. "Focus on us tonight, leave the Jedi Code outside; tonight, you're mine."

"Not your consort." She added, smiling.

"No. Never." He chuckled and kissed her shoulder, moving up her neck "My queen, my fighter. Anything you want to be, as long as you're mine." He softly said over her ear.

She nodded, lifting his shirt off of him. "Can I be your Master?" she asked, her voice sexy, her eyes filled with desire as she caressed his chest.

"You already are." He replied, taking her lips in a passionate kiss, removing all of their clothes faster than before, desperately needing to feel their bodies touching.

When they were both naked, Ben pulled her towards him, her soft breasts against his chest and his hard dick poking her lower belly. Sara had done as he'd asked: her thoughts were of him, of them, and nothing else; she was fully his: body, soul and mind.

He picked her up again and lowered her into the hot water, sitting behind her so that she was lying between his legs, her back on his chest, her eyes closed, completely his to pleasure. He grabbed the soft loofah near the tub and started to clean her up slowly.

Sara sighed in pleasure, enjoying the sensual touch of his hands and the loofah on her skin, over her breasts, between her thighs. He held under her chin and lifted her face to his, kissing her lips passionately. Sara turned around and straddled him, her hands on his shoulders, her lips never leaving his. She caressed down his chest, his abs, until she grabbed his dick, pumping him a few times before she guided him into her body, sitting on him; his name leaving her lips in a pleasure-filled gasp when he was balls deep inside of her. He grabbed her wet hair at the nape of her neck and pulled her mouth to his again, devouring her in a scorching kiss. Sara started to circle her hips, getting lost in the delicious feeling of having him deep inside. She began moving up and down, the water sloshing around them, her moans getting louder as she moved faster.

"You're so sexy, love." He whispered. "Using me for your pleasure." He pinched one nipple.

"Oh, fuck." She gasped loudly, one of his hands found her clit and her moans increased, signaling her orgasm. He followed her, spilling jets of cum into her clenching pussy.

Sara pressed her forehead to his, just breathing into his air, trying to regain her breath.

"I love you." She whispered.

"And I love you." He replied.

She smiled, "I dream of you every night." she admitted. "No matter how many times during the day I meditate, at night, when I close my eyes, it's you that I see, it's us together, making love, traveling places, playing with our kids..." she closed her eyes again, remembering that sweet dream.

Ben noticed she was allowing herself a moment to enjoy that dream. "How do they look like?" he whispered.

"Our son has my eyes and your hair. Our daughter looks almost exactly like me."

"They are beautiful then." He said, kissing her shoulder.

Sara lay between his legs again, his arms holding her close to him and she sighed.

"The water's getting cold." He whispered after a while. "Let's go to bed."

And Sara got up, reaching for two towels, and they dried their bodies before lying in bed, naked, legs entwined, both dreaming of a future they wished they could make true.

* * *

**Two weeks later**

The guards had intercepted a terrorist group that was planning an attack on Leia's house; the mission was a great success; all five members of the group were arrested.

Sara was called in the middle of the night to help with the interrogation of the prisoners. She didn't think that was a good idea but she couldn't simply say "No.", she was part of Leia's security team, she had to help.

She reached the prison cells.

"Sara." Greeted General Ryan, "Two of them prisoners don't want to talk. The other three say these two are the brains behind their organization here in Tandankin. We need to learn what they know; what else they were planning and who are the others involved."

"Yes, General. I'll get you what you need." And she walked into the cell where the two prisoners were.

They looked apprehensive when they realized who she was.

"Hello, there. I'll give you one chance to tell me, willingly, what the General wants to know."

"W-we won't say anything to you!" shouted one, looking nervously to the other.

"So unwillingly it is." And she raised her hand towards one of them, "Tell me about the beginning of your organization, The First Soldiers."

And as the man started to speak, the other began to shout: "Shut up! You idiot!"

"Don't worry, your turn will come." And she felt stronger, looking at the man blabbing all of the organization's secret, a new power awakened inside of her, she raised her hand to the other man and controlled them both at the same time, making them speak everything they knew about any attacks not only on Leia but on other Resistance Generals and members as well. When they stopped, she released them both from her compulsion and saw them slump down onto the ground, both unconscious.

She blinked, that power-surge was slowly leaving her mind, and clarity returned. She looked at both men and realized what she'd done.

The door opened and General Ryan walked in, looking at her with fear, one hand on the blaster on his belt.

"What happened here, Sara?"

"Their minds weren't strong enough to withstand my compulsion." She replied, half-lying, half-not. "You can remove your hand from your blaster, General. If I had snapped, you'd be dead the moment you opened this door. You have all the information you need, don't you?" he nodded. "Good. Excuse me." And she passed by him on the door, leaving the prison cells and going to her room.

* * *

It was a cold night, but Sara felt even colder inside, not because she thought those men didn't deserve to die, no, but because she knew killing wasn't the Jedi way – and she feared where that newly discovered power of hers could take her. She jumped to her balcony and walked into her room, her mind was a mess, the General was right to fear her – right then, she also feared herself. The Force was doing everything to bend Sara to its will, and she was close to giving up being Jedi and becoming Ben's wife, for the sake of her own sanity and the safety of others. Not that it would be a hardship to marry Ben – no, she would gladly do that – but what she'd be then? Just a consort, not even politically relevant. And therein lay the problem: she was a fighter, not a princess.

Sara took a long shower, wishing she could solve her problems as easily as the water removed the smell of the prison cells from her skin. She quickly dried her body and put on a dress, sitting on the bed to meditate – at least the Force seemed to be giving her a break for the rest of the night.

* * *

The sun started to rise in the horizon, and Sara slowly came to from her meditation. Besides the sun announcing the beginning of a beautiful day, she heard her stomach signaling she was hungry, but she didn't want to face either the guards or Ben and Leia, so she'd have to starve for now; maybe later she could grab something in the kitchens, the droids liked her enough to make her something.

But she wasn't able to retain her solitude for long, for Leia knocked on her door a little after 8 a.m. and didn't wait for an invitation before opening it and walking in.

"Sara." she closed the door. "I heard about what happened. How are you?"

"I wanted to kill them, Leia." she just blurted, her voice a bit above a whisper. "I had a choice, but I felt a power inside of me and I used it. I killed them because I wanted. Because it felt good." she looked into Leia's warm eyes, there was no judgement there just pain and worry. Sara averted her eyes. "I must leave. I told Master Luke I had to leave." Then she broke down, the tears and her feelings loose. "I'm tired. I can't fight it any longer."

"Fight the Force?" asked Leia, getting close to her, sitting on the bed by her side.

"Yes, it has bound me to Ben." She admitted. "That's what I've been fighting against: the Force wants me and Ben together, but I don't want to renounce the Jedi way, so I can't have attachments." She let out a shaky breath. "I've finally reached my limit. I'm not stronger than the Force itself; but, I know I won't be happy if I renounce being a Jedi, only I can't be happy without Ben either. I don't know what to do..." And she let the tears run freely, sobs shaking her body and making it hard for her to breathe.

Leia hugged her and let her cry on her shoulder, her heart breaking for the young woman.

* * *

Leia left Sara's room and found her son walking towards her.

"How is she?" Ben asked.

"Broken." she honestly answered. "Torn apart by her duty and her love." she touched his face. "She said she'll give up, that she'll bow to the will of the Force. But you and I both know she won't ever be happy being just a consort."

"I know. I'd never ask her to give up being Jedi."

"And that's the problem." Suddenly she realized something. "Son, if the Force has connected you two, and not accepting said connection has literally broken Sara, why aren't you as affected as her?"

"Because I'm not fighting it. I feel my energy looking for hers and I don't stop it. She does, however. And because she's strong with the Force, that power struggle has lasted this long." He paused, anger rising in his chest. "We must do something! I can feel her pain from here!" he moved to Sara's door, but Leia held his arm.

"Don't go in there, Ben. I don't think seeing you will help her." Leia sighed, before continuing: "I'll have to call the stupid Jedi Master I have for a brother here again."

* * *

**Two weeks later**

**The last dinner party**

The parking lot close to Leia's Castle was filled with ships from several sizes and origins, Luke remembered his sister saying that that night would be the last dinner party she'd be throwing for Ben to find a fiancé, for since those didn't seem to be working, she wasn't going to keep on having them.

Leia didn't wait for her brother by the Castle doors this time, he was instead informed by a guard that he should go to her office the moment he arrived.

As soon as Luke walked into Leia's office, she was on his face, demanding: "Revoke the no-attachment rule."

"What?" He frowned. "We've already had this conversation, Leia."

"The Force's bonded them, Luke! And Sara has been fighting it, and losing herself in the process. She killed two men, while interrogating them, two weeks ago."

"Why didn't you call me?" he sounded deeply concerned.

"I did. You're here, aren't you?"

"Sara was always disciplined and balanced. My best student. I can't believe this is all happening because my stupid nephew seduced her and..."

"No! The Force..." but Leia suddenly stopped talking, exasperation taking control of her. "You know what? I'll let you see it for yourself. Follow me." and Luke followed her out of the office and into the ballroom, where at least a hundred people had already arrived.

As they entered the room, Luke felt the same anguish he had felt the first time he'd been there, only amplified. He looked at his nephew, who was speaking to a young pretty woman, the distress was coming from him this time.

"I felt the same thing from Sara the last time I was here." Luke said to Leia in an unimpressed tone.

"No. This is not all that I want you to feel. Wait for it." Said Leia, rudely, letting him see how angry she was.

So Luke waited beside her in silence, just observing Ben's interaction with the many females guests – he was polite but his body language showed he was not in the least interested in them.

Luke soon got distracted by the beauty of the party and even forgot, for a moment, why Leia had called him there. However, a few minutes later, when Leia's security team walked into the room, he was unable to stop the gasp that left his lips: "What's this?"

Leia smirked at him, glad he had been taken by surprise by the strength of Sara's pain. "That's the Force showing you that you must revoke that stupid attachment rule!" she whisper-shouted. "That's what happens now every time they are in the same room."

Luke was speechless. "I... I don't know what to do. I must think."

"Think?" Leia nearly shouted, if it weren't for the music playing everyone would've heard her. "Are you feeling the same thing I'm feeling? They feel like this all the time!" She took a deep breath before speaking again: "Luke, they have already been together, they love each other... All this secrecy, the misery of having to be apart, the fear of losing each other... this is the kind of pain that drove our father insane." Those words made Luke look at her with worry in his eyes. "Sara has already killed two people." Continued Leia. "You are giving her very poor choices here."

"She could leave."

"No, brother. It won't help; Ben was in Naboo for a few days and Sara fell sick the night he left. I didn't think much of it at the time, but she got better the minute – and I mean the exact minute – he landed back here. If you just take her off planet, I believe you'll see it happen again."

"I've never heard of such a bond before." he sounded skeptical. "I'm sorry if I don't believe you, Leia."

* * *

Sara looked around the ballroom and saw Leia talking to Master Luke, she had no hopes of him changing the rules at that point; she was so tired of fighting against the Force's will that she just wanted to leave the planet and if she fainted and got sick again at least she'd be unconscious and could rest.

She watched as a young woman in a very beautiful gown walked by her, talking animatedly with her mother about the prince. And Sara took a deep breath, the thought that she could put an end to all of that just by renouncing the Jedi path crushed her; she was torn between her two loves all because of an old rule that had already caused troubles in the past.

She saw the young woman approach Ben and introduce herself. He smiled, greeting her politely, as he did with all of them. Then the woman whispered something to him, boldly touching a strand of his hair that had fallen from behind his ear and he laughed.

Sara felt her stomach churn and told Captain Joff she was going to patrol the garden. She glanced at Ben once more and her eyes met his, she blocked her thoughts and walked to the exit.

Sara reached the garden and let out a sigh, the crisp night air always helped her get her emotions back on track. She looked at the beautiful garden – the white canopy where Ben had kissed her before they made love for the first time – and sighed; she could stay and marry him and never be on the field again, throwing away all her years of training and her honed skills to be his consort. She scoffed at that thought: _I'd be miserable._ But thinking of leaving had her feeling desolate; she knew never seeing Ben again would break her. Just keeping her distance from him for the past two weeks already had her on edge.

And as if her thoughts had summoned him, Ben appeared behind her, "Sara." He whispered.

"Go back inside, Your Highness. I'm just finishing my patrol."

She sensed his anger before she felt his hand on her arm, pulling her towards him. He quickly wrapped her in his arms, holding her as close as possible to his larger body. She looked up at him, all her anger and frustration mixing with her desire, he looked so sexy and powerful with that official uniform; she wanted to hurt him then fuck him. She raised her fisted hand, aiming to bruise his chin, but he held both her hands behind her back, stopping her assault and smiling.

Sara lost control over her energy and it connected to his fully, a relieved sigh leaving both their lips a second before said lips met in a desperate kiss.

* * *

**Meanwhile in the ballroom**

"Do you feel that?" Luke whispered to Leia. "That angst is gone all of a sudden."

"That's how I know they're making out." She chuckled. "Whenever they touch, the energy inside and around them finds its balance again. This is the Force itself telling you to drop that stupid rule, Luke." Repeated Leia.

"Wait. It's coming back." He closed his eyes, bracing himself.

* * *

Sara used the Force to send Ben backwards, a few feet away from her.

"I'll leave." she gasped. "I can neither stay and become your consort, nor stay and watch you marry someone else, so I've decided to leave."

"Stop it, Sara. You know you offend my love for you when you speak like that. I'm not marrying anyone but you."

"Enough of it, Ben." She closed her eyes, if only life was as easy as it seemed when she was close to him.

"I love it when you say my name." He got close to her again and touched her face. "Whenever you call me 'your highness' I just want to kiss you until you're moaning my name again." he looked at her with a serious expression. "You're not leaving, love, you know you could die..."

"Yes, I know, but I'll find a way to survive. Otherwise, I will kill her. Your wife. The moment you make your choice, I'll end her. I have this anger growing inside of me, Ben, and I know I can't control it. She'll just drop dead." She sounded desperate.

Ben chuckled at Sara's words, he could also see himself doing exactly the same if their roles were reversed.

In that moment, Captain Joff walked into the Garden, stopping on his tracks at the unexpected scene of his Jedi General in the Prince's arms. The couple took a step away from each other, not saying anything about the position they'd been caught in, and waited for Joff to speak.

The Captain cleared his throat before speaking: "Excuse me, Your Highness, General Antilles, but Master Skywalker is asking for the General's presence in the Queen's office."

"Thank you, Captain. I'll be there in a moment." Replied Sara, feeling Ben's hand on her lower back, as if he was showing the other man she was his.

The Captain frowned a little but didn't say another word, he just bowed and left.

Ben pulled Sara against his body again, kissing her breathless before letting her go towards his uncle.

* * *

**Leia's office**

Sara walked into the room and felt the air was tense between the Queen and her brother, they stood on opposite sides of the room in silence, barely looking at each other.

"My dear." said Leia, walking towards her.

"We'll be leaving soon, Sara." Declared Luke. "You'd better go get your things and meet me by my ship in twenty minutes."

"Yes, Master." She sounded insecure, glancing at Leia, understanding her worried expression.

"I've told Luke about your problem..." Said Leia. "He is aware you may need to return here as soon as you leave the atmosphere, however he doesn't believe what I've told him is true. So you go knowing that we'll have the meddroid and its team ready to care for you the moment you return; that is if Ben doesn't go after you first." She hugged Sara. "I know this will cause you pain, but I think this is the only way my brother will believe us."

Sara nodded and walked to her room to get her things.

* * *

Ben returned to the ballroom after Sara had left the garden to go speak with his uncle. He kept on welcoming the incoming guests and talking to all females – always polite and keeping his distance. However, he started to feel uneasy, after a while, realizing Sara had been gone from his sight for almost an hour.

He saw his mother walk into the ballroom alone, neither Luke nor Sara beside her. He frowned and walked towards her; but before he'd reached her, he felt it: Sara was in trouble. He walked faster, reaching Leia and touching her arm to make her look at him, trying not to be alarmed, "Where's Sara?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Luke has taken her off planet." Confirmed Leia. "They're going to Yavin 4."

And Ben left the party, running to the hangar.

* * *

**Inside Luke's ship**

Sara sat in the passenger seat behind the pilot's chair and buckled up, looking worried. Luke didn't understand why she felt concerned, he wasn't kidnapping her, she knew where she was going – to Yavin 4 – and as far as he remembered, she liked living in the Temple.

He sat in the co-pilot's chair and said to the pilot, his padawan Ken: "We're ready to leave."

"Ok, Master." Said Ken, turning on the engines and preparing to take off.

As they were leaving the planet's atmosphere, Luke kept his eyes on Sara, she had changed her Jedi clothes for a very pretty blue dress, and he remembered that dresses were her outfit of choice at the Temple, she loved to change her training uniform for a dress whenever she could. "Why did you change?" he asked, in an effort to make conversation.

"To be more comfortable." She closed her eyes, one hand on her stomach and other on her head, looking about to be sick.

"Suffering from space travel sickness now?" Luke asked her, frowning.

"Not exactly." She muttered, touching both hands to her head and blinking with difficulty – as if fighting to stay awake.

Suddenly her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she lost consciousness, her head falling onto her right shoulder, and the seat belt was the only thing holding her limp body to her seat.

"Sara!" Luke called, unbuckling his seat belt and kneeling beside her seat. "Sara!" he touched her face.

"What's wrong, Master?" asked Ken.

"She passed out." He said, confused at how fast that had happened right in front of his eyes.

Sara moved her head from side to side, mumbling incoherently. Luke touched her forehead and noticed she was getting warm. "A fever?" He whispered, in awe, remembering all that Leia had told him about Sara and Ben's connection. He stood up, not knowing what to do; he wasn't sure ending the no-attachment rule was the right way to go. But seeing Sara falling sick just for getting too far from his nephew was a shock.

"Should we go back, Master?" asked Ken, worried. "Get her some medical attention?"

"No. Maintain our current course to Yavin. I'll try to heal her through the Force." He kneeled beside her again, lifting his hands in her direction to access her mind. The moment he touched her inner thoughts, he sensed the presence of the Force, strong in her mind as always; but the energy was commanding – which was strange – as if the Force was trying to make Sara do something; and there was an empty space too: some part of Sara's inner Force was missing. Then he heard her whisper: "Ben." And he left her mind, stopping his attempt to heal her. Luke was lost; he remained on his knees, looking at Sara's pale face; and after a while, he reached the conclusion that there was only one thing he could do.

"Master." Said his pilot, concern and confusion in his voice. "There's a Tie fighter coming towards us."

"A Tie-fighter?" Luke asked with a frown, getting up from the floor and going to look at the monitors.

"Yes. It's a Tie-Whisper. It's definitely following us and getting really close fast."

Suddenly Sara gasped, waking up and looking around trying to remember where she was.

"Sara." Said Luke, going to her side again. "What's happening? Why did you faint?"

"The distance from Ben made me faint, it's happened before." She softly replied with a small smile.

"Master." Called Ken, alarmed. "The Whisper is about to collide with us!"

"Do you have any idea why a Tie-fighter is following us?" Luke asked Sara.

"That's Ben's Tie from the First Order." She explained. "He's kept it. He says it's a good ship."

"So that's Ben in the Tie? You're sure?" asked Luke.

"Yes. It's definitely him." She smiled weakly. "That's why I'm not feeling so sick anymore."

Luke didn't say anything to her, he just walked to the control panel and contacted the Tie.

"Uncle?" said Ben through the intercomm. "How's Sara?"

"Come aboard and see her for yourself, Ben, I'm opening the cargo door, park inside."

"Copy that." Was his only answer.

* * *

Ben stormed into the cockpit of the ship, the room just a couple of meters bigger than the Falcon's. He went straight to Sara, kneeling beside her seat.

"How are you, love?" he asked, touching her face.

"I'm fine now. Thank you for coming after me."

Ben kissed her lips softly, "I left the moment my mother told me you were going back to Yavin." Then he looked at his uncle, anger replacing the love in his eyes.

Luke was frowning at them. "I can sense your connection." He seemed baffled. "And I don't think I've ever sensed such a thing before."

"Revoke the no-attachment rule." Said Ben, standing up to his full height, menacingly looking at Luke, a blue crossguard lightsaber igniting in his hand, his official uniform making him look even more dangerous.

"Ben!" exclaimed Sara, one hand on his arm.

"Revoke it, uncle. Or I'll make sure you won't live long enough to expel Sara from the Order. I love her and she loves me; I can't stand to watch her suffer anymore because of an old stupid Jedi rule!"

Luke smirked at his nephew, still analyzing the couple. "It's more than just love, though." He murmured. "The Force has truly connected you two." He sounded really impressed.

"Yes." Ben was furious. "My mother's told you that more than once."

Luke seemed lost in his thoughts for a minute, completely ignoring his nephew's threat.

"Put that thing away, Ben!" said Sara, standing up. "You'll get us all killed if you hit any part of the controls. There's not enough space here for a lightsaber fight!" she got dizzy and was going to fall down, her legs a little weak still.

Ben held her immediately, stopping her from falling, his lightsaber turning off before hitting the floor.

"I got you, love." He whispered, both hands around her.

Sara held onto his vest, pressing her face to his chest.

Luke watched their interaction with attention, sensing the presence of the Force around them, if he tried to see their auras he knew they'd be connected just as their minds were.

"I'll revoke the no-attachment rule." He suddenly said.

Ben and Sara stopped talking to each other and looked at him, not even breathing, afraid they'd heard it wrong: "What?" Asked Ben.

"You heard me, kid."

"So I won't have to renounce being a Jedi to marry Ben?" asked Sara.

"No, dear. And I must say I'd hate to lose such a great Jedi because of my stupid nephew."

Ben ignored his uncle's insult and tightened his arms around Sara, kissing her, feeling her arms wrap around his neck and her mind completely open to his. She laughed when their lips parted.

"Let's go back home, love." Ben whispered.

Sara nodded, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears of happiness. "Yes!"

"Good bye, uncle."

"Can I expect an invitation to the wedding?" shouted Luke as they were leaving the cockpit.

"No." Said Ben at the same time Sara said: "Of course, Master."

And Ben pulled her out of the cockpit with him, and they ran to his Tie-Whisper.

* * *

When they reached the cargo bay, Sara looked at the black and red Tie with interest. "That's such a sexy ship." She whispered, running towards the Tie and touching one its wings. Ben held her from behind, his desire was to run to Tandankin and marry her before his uncle changed his mind. But seeing her caress the Whisper gave him a better – more pleasurable – idea.

"Would you like to go for a ride?" he asked against her ear, his question meaning more than just flying home.

"Thought you'd never ask."

He jumped into the cockpit and she followed, the space just big enough for two people to squeeze in together.

"We're lucky this isn't the Silencer, we'd never fit in that together." Ben said as he sat on the pilot's chair and Sara sat on his lap, straddling him, he clicked something in the control panel and the door closed, the engines humming.

He looked into Sara's eyes, his hands on her thighs. "I love seeing you in a dress."

"Really? Why is that?" she fisted his hair in one hand, kissing his lips as she rubbed herself on his hardening dick.

"First: you love dresses; second: they make things very easy for me." His hands went under the dress, caressing her butt.

She moved faster against him, pulling his hair on the back of his head and ordering: "Get us out of here." She bit his bottom lip.

And he grabbed the ship's handles and did his best to maneuver the Whisper out of his uncle's ship without hitting any walls, while Sara opened his vest and kissed his neck.

Once they were out, he set course to Tandankin, put the ship on autopilot and held her waist again. "You're all mine now, Sara. There's no Code stopping you from being my wife."

"Yes. I am all yours." She whispered with a sexy smile. "So, we got the marrying part on the way, now if I remember the second part of your plan." She unzipped his pants, getting his dick out of his underwear. "It had something to do with getting me pregnant." She slowly jerked him off.

He groaned and smirked, "Yes. Let's start working on that right now." He lifted her dress up to her waist and touched her pussy over her panties, watching her move her hips against his hand. He pulled the straps of her dress down her shoulders and her bra to the sides, exposing both her breasts; he pinched each of her nipples, loving the way she gasped his name. Then he pulled her panties to the side, nearly ripping the wet fabric, and helped her sit on his dick slowly.

Sara gasped at the feeling of having him entering her. She fisted one hand on his hair, the other on his shoulder, as she fucked herself on his cock; he gripped her ass and pulled her down, fully penetrating her, helping her move up and down on his lap.

Sara arched her back, staring at the beauty of the dark space around them as her body was taken by the pleasure of being fucked by him.

Ben watched as she rode him, her breasts bouncing near his face, as she moaned on his lap, "You're mine." He groaned, pulling her down on him, hitting deep inside of her.

"Yes!" she gasped, one hand going down to her clit, stimulating it until she was crying out his name, her pussy clamped down on his dick, as if sucking it deeper, and he filled her up with jets of cum, feeling some of it drip out on his balls.

They shared a slow kiss, as their breaths returned to normal.

"Estimated arrival time: ten minutes." the ship's voice broke their romantic afterglow.

They chuckled and Sara moved out of his lap, kneeling beside his seat to set her dress straight and help him get presentable as well. Ben pulled her to his lap again, she sat with her back to his chest, both facing the stars, and enjoying each other's presence.

"Can we marry at the village?" she quietly asked.

"Yes, love. I think that's a great idea."

"Estimated arrival time: two minutes." Said the ship.

"Disengage the autopilot for me, please." He asked.

And Sara clicked the blinking button that indicated it was on.

"We've been gone for about ninety minutes." He checked the time. "So dinner must have been served just a little while ago, that means everybody is still there. We'll go straight to the ballroom to announce our marriage." Ben said, speeding it up towards Tandankin.

"I can't believe this is happening." She whispered. "I wish we could marry tonight. We've been waiting for this moment for so long..."

"My mother will probably ask for at least a week to organize everything."

"Oh, well... I guess if we've waited until now, we can wait another week." She kissed his lips again, before jumping onto the gunman seat behind Ben's seat and buckling up, for they were about to enter the planet's atmosphere.

* * *

They walked into the ballroom hand-in-hand and Ben went straight to the small stage where a band was playing, asking them to stop for a moment. Sara stood close to the stage.

As Ben had guessed, dinner was being served, so everybody was sitting at the long table. He got the singer's microphone and started to speak: "Good evening, sorry for the abrupt way I left a while ago, thank you all for your presence and patience. It's no secret that these dinner parties are part of my quest to find a bride. I must say I was reluctant to have them, for I couldn't see myself marrying out of duty – I've done too much already in my life out of duty." He paused and he could see many people nodding all around the room. "Also, there was another reason I didn't want to have these dinners: my heart was already taken. It was taken years ago – actually some could say it has never been available, for I met my fiancé when we were still kids."

The room went absolutely quiet, the guests looked at one another in confusion and curiosity.

Leia stood up and walked towards Sara, holding her hand and whispering: "I'm glad my plan worked out, dear."

"Thank you for helping us."

"Don't thank me, Sara. Give me a few grandkids and we'll be even."

Sara chuckled. "We're working on it."

"I'm sure you are." Replied Leia, chuckling too.

Ben looked at them, "Sara Antilles, please, get up here."

Sara blushed and walked onto the stage. Her simple blue dress completely clashing with Ben's more formal attire.

He took her hand and got down on one knee, in front of all the guests. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Ben." She replied, tears falling from her eyes.

"It was about time!" they heard one of the guards shout, making everybody laugh.

Then Ben stood up and accepted a box that Leia was reaching out to him. He opened it, picking up a beautiful ring with a solitary red stone from it.

"Wait, is that your Rol Stone?" Sara gasped. "Your lightsaber! It is blue now!" she suddenly remembered from when he had ignited it in Luke's ship.

"Yes. It stopped working a week ago, I opened the hilt and the rol stone was loose inside of it. I've decided to give it to you."

"A piece of your lightsaber." she whispered, knowing how meaningful that gesture was.

"Yes." He slid the ring onto her finger, and pulled her to a kiss as the room exploded in claps and happy shouts – as well as some angry women's cries.

* * *

Ben and Sara married a week later, in the Aldera village; it was a beautiful ceremony conducted by the elder Dego.

They danced as the moon shone bright in the sky. Sara had chosen a knee length white dress and comfortable flat white sandals, her hair was cascading down her shoulders in beautiful curls and waves, just like Ben loved, on her head a small tiara with the symbol of the royal house of Alderaan.

Ben wore a beautiful dark blue suit, with the alderaanian symbol embroidered on it and other pins showcasing his status. His hair perfectly styled.

"You look so beautiful, love." He whispered over her lips, before kissing her gently, holding her very close as they slowly moved to the sound of the music.

"And you..." she whispered, her hands caressing his chest. "I don't need to say what this formal clothings of yours do to me..." she bit his bottom lip. "I wanna drop down onto my knees right now and suck you off, have you cum in my mouth." She bit his neck. "Can we leave?"

"Fuck, yes. Let's run for the landspeeder before anyone can stop us."

And that's what they did, fleeing their wedding party to spend a few days traveling around the planet, talking to their people and making love under the moonlight.

* * *

As soon as they had returned home, Leia passed on the crown to her son and, as Dego had predicted, all alderaanians were ecstatic to have an amazing couple such as Ben and Sara as their King and Queen.

And, for Leia's utter happiness, Sara gave birth to twin girls about a year after marrying Ben. So Leia could finally be a full-time doting grandma for her long-desired granddaughters.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**Note: **Short and sweet. I loved writing this story. Hope you've loved reading it!


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